Thiruvananthapuram:
In a major pro-people move, the Kerala government, led by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, has unveiled a slew of significant welfare announcements, including a sharp increase in social security pensions, a new monthly aid scheme for poor women, and a scholarship for youth pursuing skill development. The announcements are widely seen as a major welfare push ahead of the upcoming local body and Assembly elections.
Welfare Pension Hiked to ₹2,000
The government has increased the monthly social security and welfare fund pensions from ₹1,600 to ₹2,000, a rise of ₹400. This revision is expected to benefit over 62 lakh people from weaker sections and will entail an annual expenditure of approximately ₹13,000 crore for the state.
Monthly Aid for Poor Women (Sthree Suraksha Pension)
A new scheme titled ‘Sthree Suraksha Pension’ was announced, which will provide a monthly financial assistance of ₹1,000 to women, including transwomen, between the ages of 35 and 60. The beneficiaries must belong to the poorest households (holding Antyodaya Anna Yojana – AAY, or Priority Household – PHH ration cards) and should not be a recipient of any other welfare scheme. This measure is expected to cover around 31.34 lakh women, with an annual financial commitment of about ₹3,800 crore.
Scholarship for Youth
To support educated unemployed youth in their pursuit of better job opportunities, the government introduced the ‘Connect to Work Scholarship’ scheme. Under this, a monthly scholarship of ₹1,000 will be provided to youth aged 18 to 30 who are from families with an annual income of less than ₹1 lakh and are undergoing skill development courses or preparing for competitive exams after completing their Plus Two, ITI, Diploma, or Degree. An estimated 5 lakh young people are expected to benefit from this initiative.
Other Key Announcements:
- ASHA and Anganwadi Workers’ Honorarium: The honorarium for ASHA workers and the monthly wages for Anganwadi teachers and helpers were increased by ₹1,000 each.
- DA Arrears: One instalment of Dearness Allowance (DA) arrears (4%) due to state government employees and pensioners will be disbursed along with the November salary.
- Rubber Support Price: The support price for rubber has been raised from ₹180 to ₹200 per kilogram.
The Chief Minister stated that all the decisions would come into effect from November 1. While the government emphasized its commitment to people’s welfare despite Central financial constraints, the opposition and critics have pointed out that the welfare measures will place an additional financial burden of over ₹10,000 crore on the state exchequer.
