Chief Minister V. D. Satheesan on Monday said the new Kerala government has begun implementing two of the five major promises made by the Congress-led alliance ahead of the Assembly elections.
Addressing the media, Satheesan announced that the “Indira Guarantee” scheme, which provides free travel for women in Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) buses, will come into effect from June 15. He said detailed guidelines for the scheme would be announced later.
The Chief Minister also said the government has decided to create a separate department for senior citizens, describing it as the first such initiative in the country.
In another major announcement, Satheesan said the government has fulfilled its promise to ASHA workers by increasing their honorarium by ₹3,000.
With the hike, the monthly honorarium of ASHA workers in the state will rise to ₹12,000, he added.
The announcements are being viewed as the first major welfare measures of the newly formed government.
