Leader of Opposition questions Kerala CM’s poll-eve sops

A day after Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan announced a set of welfare measures, Leader of the Opposition in the Kerala Assembly VD Satheesan alleged on Thursday that move was to cover up the embarrassment caused by the controversy over signing up for the PM SHRI project.

Speaking to the media in Kochi, Satheesan asked the CPI-led LDF why it took four and a half years to increase social security pension to Rs. 2,000 per month though it had mentioned in its poll manifesto in 2021 that the amount would be hiked to Rs.2,500 when it comes to power.

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The government that mocked the Accredited Social Health Activist (ASHA) workers’ strike has now increased the honorarium by Rs 1000. Currently, they are getting Rs 233 per day, which will now be increased to Rs. 266.-a mere increase of Rs 33 per day. They had demanded Rs 700 per day, he said .

Stating that the LDF government has been deceiving the people for the last four years, Satheesan said the Pinarayi Vijayan government owes Rs 1 lakh crore to employees, teachers and pensioners as arrears of DA , leave, surrender, etc.

The Opposition leader asserted that the Congress-led UDF would come to power in the 2026 assembly polls with more than 100 seats.

With the local body and Assembly elections approaching, the chief minister Vijayan announced a series of welfare measures targeting key sections of society. He said his government has decided to increase the social welfare pension from Rs 1,600 to Rs.2,000. Rhe honorarium of Accredited Social Health Activist (ASHA) workers in the state will be increased by Rs 1,000 per month from November 1 onwards. The increase in the honorarium of the ASHA workers comes in the wake of their more than 250-days long agitation before the state secretariat.

The chief minister also said that a scholarship of Rs 1000 per month will be provided to economically backward youths, whose annual family income is less than Rs one lakh. A new scheme will be launched for women’s safety. Poor women, including trans women, will receive a monthly assistance through the new scheme.