Free travel for women, ASHA workers' pay: VD Satheesan Govt's policy vision to be unveiled today

Thiruvananthapuram: Governor Rajendra Arlekar will deliver his first policy address to the 16th Legislative Assembly on Friday, outlining the vision and agenda of the newly formed V D Satheesan Government for the upcoming year. This marks the first policy address by a UDF government in a decade, following their return to power. The Governor’s speech is scheduled to commence at 9:00 am on Friday.

The policy outline is highly anticipated to center heavily on the 'guarantees' promised by the UDF during its election campaign, providing the first concrete indicators of how these welfare pledges will be financed and executed.

Chief Minister V D Satheesan had announced during his inaugural Cabinet press conference that free travel for women on KSRTC buses would be implemented from June 15. Today's address is expected to provide much-needed clarity on the operational logistics, including eligibility criteria, eligible bus categories and travel distance limits.

In addition, the government has already announced a ₹3,000 pay hike for ASHA workers. While the workers have demanded a monthly salary of ₹21,000, the policy address is expected to shed light on how and in what phases this incremental increase will be rolled out.

Another cornerstone of the UDF’s election platform was the implementation of the 'Indira Guarantees’, which include a monthly stipend of ₹1,000 for college-going girls. The address is likely to specify the execution timeline for these major welfare schemes.

As the new administration is currently discussing the release of a financial White Paper, the policy speech is also expected to hint at how the government intends to generate revenue for these substantial welfare projects. Sources close to the administration suggest that, in a departure from the previous government's stance, the address is unlikely to feature direct or overt criticism of the Central Government.