Thiruvananthapuram: Renowned filmmaker and actor Madhupal has resigned as Chairman of the Kerala State Cultural Activists Welfare Fund Board, citing recent changes within the state’s administrative hierarchy.

In a statement detailing his departure, Madhupal defended his four-year tenure, describing his leadership of the state-backed welfare body as "flawless" and highlighting an expansion of financial safety nets for the region's struggling artistic community.

During his leadership, the board successfully lobbied for sweeping increases to welfare provisions. Monthly pensions for artists were raised from ₹4,000 to ₹5,000, while family and other support allowances saw a bump to ₹1,600. The broad scope of the safety net was apparent in April alone, when the board disbursed pensions to 4,600 retired artists and provided critical family support allowances to hundreds of dependents.

The outgoing chairman also oversaw a substantial overhaul of ad-hoc grants. Marriage assistance for members' families was doubled to ₹50,000, and a lifetime medical cap of ₹1,50,000 was restructured into a far more generous rolling grant of ₹200,000 accessible every three years.

Financial turnaround and legal victories

The board, which relies entirely on its own revenue streams—primarily a ₹3 levy (cess) on cinema tickets and member subscriptions—reports a dramatic strengthening of its balance sheet. Under Madhupal's watch, the board's fiscal reserves surged from ₹2.34 million in 2022 to over ₹7.57 million this year. Furthermore, a newly secured government decree will allow the body to access Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) funding from next year.

This financial buoyancy follows a bitter legal dispute with local cinema theatres. The board successfully defeated a battery of lawsuits in the Kerala High Court, winning 28 out of 35 cases brought against it by theatre operators fighting the ticket levy. Backed by judicial rulings and a new local government mandate making the board's tax clearance certificate mandatory, millions in outstanding arrears have been clawed back.

A digital legacy

During the period, the body underwent a transformative modernisation phase. Madhupal’s tenure saw the complete digitisation of the board’s operations, shifting pension and grant applications online to combat bureaucracy and improve transparency.

Total membership during his five-year association with the body grew to 20,592, aided by relaxed entry rules. Hence, it is a legacy of fiscal resilience and digital transformation that will define Madhupal’s four years at the helm.