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Kerala’s Leader of the Opposition V.D. Satheesan on Thursday (October 30, 2025) questioned the timing of the announcement of a set of welfare measures by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, saying these were aimed at “covering up the embarrassment” caused by the controversy over signing up for the PM SHRI project. The Congress leader asked why it took four and a half years for the CPI(M)-led Left Democratic Front (LDF) to increase social security pension to ₹2,000 per month though it had mentioned in its poll manifesto in 2021 that the amount would be hiked to ₹2,500 when it comes to power. “Whatever the government announces for the poor and common people, we fully welcome it. But the fact is the LDF has announced an increase of just ₹400 in pension, though five years ago it had promised to hike the pension to ₹2,500 from ₹1,600. The announcement has been made even as the local body elections are set to be announced within a week. After the elections, it will be time for the Assembly polls. The government did not implement the hike in 4.5 years. It failed to keep its promise,” Mr. Satheesan said. He said the government should be paying a compensation of ₹52,000 per beneficiary on account of the ₹900 hike it had promised when it came to power. ‘ASHA honorarium hike meagre’ Mr. Satheesan also slammed what he called “a meagre increase” in the honorarium for Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs). “ASHA workers have been on strike demanding a pay hike, and the government has ridiculed them and oppressed their agitation. They have been demanding a minimum of ₹700 per day. They get only ₹233 now. The hike of ₹1,000 announced for ASHAs amounts to only ₹33 per day. That should be increased,” he said. Mr. Satheesan reiterated the Opposition’s charge that the State has been going through an unprecedented financial crisis. “The dues in Kshemanidhi schemes amount to ₹2,500 crore. The government has to pay ₹1,800 crore in due to hospitals on account of the Karunya scheme,” Mr. Satheesan said. He also said that six instalments of dearness allowances for government employees are pending. Mr. Satheesan said the Opposition would announce its welfare measures in due course and implement them “through its first Budget after coming to power after the Assembly elections.” He reiterated that the government’s decision to appoint a Cabinet sub-committee to examine the PM SHRI project after signing up for it was aimed at “hoodwinking” the CPI, which registered strong objection to the government’s move. “The Chief Minister should reveal who blackmailed him to sign up for the PM SHRI project by keeping it a secret from his own cabinet,” Mr. Satheesan said.
