Kerala CM V D Satheesan announces free bus travel for women, special department for elderly in first Cabinet meeting
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "Kerala CM V D Satheesan announces free bus travel for women, special department for elderly in first Cabinet meeting")
Newly-elected Keralam Chief Minister V D Satheesan addresses a press conference, in Thiruvananthapuram on Monday. Photograph: (ANI)
In its first major decision, Kerala’s UDF government announced free bus travel for women on state-run buses, along with a ₹3,000 monthly increase in the honorarium of ASHA workers and a ₹1,000 hike for Anganwadi workers.
Shortly after assuming office as the Chief Minister of Kerala, V D Satheesan on Monday (May 18) chaired the first Cabinet meeting of the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) government and rolled out a series of welfare-focused decisions, including free Kerala State Road Transport Corporation bus travel for women, the creation of a dedicated department for elderly welfare, and a hike in the honorarium of ASHA workers.
Addressing the media after the meeting, the Chief Minister said the Cabinet approved a ₹3,000 monthly increase in the honorarium of ASHA workers, fulfilling a key assurance made during their prolonged protest outside the Secretariat.
The Cabinet also cleared a monthly increase of ₹1,000 each for Anganwadi workers and helpers, school cooking staff, pre-primary teachers, and ayahs.
In another major decision, the Cabinet approved the formation of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to investigate the alleged attack on Youth Congress leaders during the Nava Kerala Yatra in 2023.
The decisions came hours after V D Satheesan was sworn in as the new Chief Minister of Kerala, marking the return of the Congress-led UDF government to power after a decade following its sweeping victory in the 2026 Assembly elections.
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Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar administered the oath of office to Satheesan and his 20-member Cabinet during a ceremony held in Thiruvananthapuram.
The swearing-in ceremony witnessed the presence of several senior political leaders, underlining the national significance of the UDF’s electoral victory. Among those present were Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, and K. C. Venugopal.
Chief Ministers and Deputy Chief Ministers from Congress-ruled states, including Siddaramaiah, D. K. Shivakumar, A. Revanth Reddy, and Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, also attended the event.
Former Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, former Assembly Speaker A. N. Shamseer, Kerala BJP president Rajeev Chandrasekhar, and CPI leader Binoy Viswam were also present at the ceremony.
Rahul Gandhi congratulates Satheesan
Congratulating the new Chief Minister and his Cabinet, Rahul Gandhi said the new government would function in line with the aspirations of the people of Kerala.
“The people of Kerala fought for this government. Their voice will guide it. Warm congratulations to V D Satheesan ji and the entire cabinet, who will now represent the voice of every Keralite,” he wrote in a post on X.
