Thiruvananthapuram: Hours after taking charge in Kerala on Monday, the VD Satheesan-led UDF government announced a slew of welfare measures, including raising ASHA workers’ honorarium by Rs 3,000 to Rs 12,000, free bus rides for women, and a dedicated department for elderly people.
The Congress-led United Democratic Fund, which came to power in Kerala after a decade, also increased the monthly honorarium for Anganwadi workers, pre-primary teachers and government school cooks by Rs 1,000.
“All this was done after examining all our financial liabilities. Otherwise, we would have liked to give Rs 2,000 or even Rs 3,000. That is why it was fixed at Rs 1,000. But we have set a target. I’ll talk about that later,” Satheesan told a press conference here following the maiden Cabinet meeting of his government.
The chief minister also announced the government would publish a white paper, revealing the state’s current financial situation.
“There’s no need to explain today itself how we are going to improve the financial situation and all that. We have a plan. Once we implement that plan, there will be a noticeable change. We have a timeframe for it as well. In the coming days, we will arrive at a complete decision on all that. This is what has been done,” the chief minister said.
The welfare measures announced also included two promises that were part of the five ‘Indira Guarantees’ in Congress’s manifesto—free bus rides for women in Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) buses starting 15 June, and setting up a department dedicated for elderly welfare.
Satheesan said the government will complete a study taking examples from Japan’s model for elderly care.
“If we want to tell the world that Kerala is a civilised society, we need to approach them (the elderly population) and take care of them with respect,” the chief minister said.
“It’s not just about setting up a commission and appointing some officials. We have big aims behind setting up this department. It will happen slowly.”
Last year, Satheesan had joined a protest by ASHA workers outside the Secretariat. The demonstration developed into one of the most popular protests against the ruling Left in the run-up to the Assembly polls.
With the present hike, ASHA workers will get a monthly honorarium of Rs 12,000. A further increase in the honourarium will also be announced later, the chief minister.
One of the major demands of ASHA workers was retirement benefits, and the chief minister said a decision on it will be taken soon.
The 21-member Cabinet, including Satheesan, was administered oath earlier in the day at an event at the Chandrasekharan Nair Stadium attended by thousands of Congress supporters from across the state.
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Other key decisions
The maiden Cabinet meeting also took some other key decisions, including the appointment of former CPI(M) leader and Ambalapuzha MLA G. Sudhakaran as the pro-tem Speaker in the Assembly.
Having resigned from the CPI(M) over differences with the leadership, the former minister had contested the polls as a UDF-supported independent.
The new Congress government also announced a Special Investigation Team for a reinvestigation into the 2023 Alappuzha assault case, where then chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s security personnel and gunmen were filmed purportedly assaulting protesting Youth Congress and Kerala Students Union (KSU) activists during the government’s Nava Kerala Sadas.
The oath-taking ceremony was attended by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and senior leaders including Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, and Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and his deputy D. K. Shivakumar.
Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy also attended the event, along with outgoing Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan, and LDF leaders such as M. V. Govindan, Binoy Viswam, and BJP State chief Rajeev Chandrasekhar, among others.
The Legislative Assembly is set to convene for a special session on 21 May to swear in the MLAs. The following day, they will elect the Speaker, which will most likely be followed by the Governor’s policy speech on 29 May.
(Edited by Ajeet Tiwari)
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