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Leader of the Opposition in Kerala Assembly V.D. Satheesan | Photo Credit: PTI
The Congress chief requested why it took 4 and a half years for the CPI(M)-led Left Democratic Front (LDF) to extend social safety pension to ₹2,000 per thirty days although it had talked about in its ballot manifesto in 2021 that the quantity could be hiked to ₹2,500 in relation to energy.
“Whatever the federal government proclaims for the poor and customary individuals, we absolutely welcome it. But the very fact is the LDF has introduced a rise of simply ₹400 in pension, although 5 years in the past it had promised to hike the pension to ₹2,500 from ₹1,600. The announcement has been made even because the native physique elections are set to be introduced inside every week. After the elections, it will likely be time for the Assembly polls. The authorities didn’t implement the hike in 4.5 years. It didn’t maintain its promise,” Mr. Satheesan mentioned.
He mentioned the federal government needs to be paying a compensation of ₹52,000 per beneficiary on account of the ₹900 hike it had promised when it got here to energy.
‘ASHA honorarium hike meagre’
Mr. Satheesan additionally slammed what he referred to as “a meagre enhance” within the honorarium for Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs). “ASHA employees have been on strike demanding a pay hike, and the federal government has ridiculed them and oppressed their agitation. They have been demanding a minimal of ₹700 per day. They get solely ₹233 now. The hike of ₹1,000 introduced for ASHAs quantities to solely ₹33 per day. That needs to be elevated,” he mentioned.
Mr. Satheesan reiterated the Opposition’s cost that the State has been going via an unprecedented monetary disaster. “The dues in Kshemanidhi schemes quantity to ₹2,500 crore. The authorities has to pay ₹1,800 crore in attributable to hospitals on account of the Karunya scheme,” Mr. Satheesan mentioned.
He additionally mentioned that six instalments of dearness allowances for presidency workers are pending.
Mr. Satheesan mentioned the Opposition would announce its welfare measures sooner or later and implement them “via its first Budget after coming to energy after the Assembly elections.”
He reiterated that the federal government’s choice to nominate a Cabinet sub-committee to look at the PM SHRI challenge after signing up for it was aimed toward “hoodwinking” the CPI, which registered robust objection to the federal government’s transfer.
“The Chief Minister ought to reveal who blackmailed him to join the PM SHRI challenge by holding it a secret from his personal cupboard,” Mr. Satheesan mentioned.
Published – October 30, 2025 11:41 am IST
