The newly sworn-in United Democratic Front (UDF) government in Kerala on Monday approved a slew of welfare measures, including free rides in state-run KSRTC buses for women from June 15, a ₹3000 increase in the monthly honorariums of Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs) and the formation of a dedicated department for the welfare of the elderly population in the state.Newly sworn-in Kerala CM VD Satheesan in his office in the state secretariat in Thiruvananthapuram on Monday. (PTI)Chief minister VD Satheesan annnounced the decisions. Two of these— the free bus rides for women and the department to look after the elderly population’s welfare counted among the UDF election manifesto’s five “Indira Guarantees”. The free bus rides scheme was implemented earlier in Congress-ruled Telangana and Karnataka.Satheesan said that details of the scheme’s implementation would be announced late.With regard to the dedicated department for the elderly, he told reporters, “In my knowledge, Kerala will be the first in India to have such a department. Japan has a large elderly population and a model that can be emulated. We will conduct studies on how Japan’s model can be replicated here.”In Kerala, the proportion of people aged 60 years and above in 2026 is 18.7%, compared to the national average of 11.4%, as per statistics from the office of the Registrar General of India. In 2031, the proportion of the elderly population in Kerala is set to rise to 20.9% against 13.1% in India.The state government also cleared the file to increase the monthly honorarium of ASHAs from the current ₹9000 to ₹12,000. The revised honorarium still falls short of the UDF’s promise to increase it up to ₹21,000, in keeping with demands by ASHA workers’ unions, who organised a record 265-day strike to demand revision of wages and introduction of retirement benefits last year.“During their protest in front of the Secretariat, I had visited them and promised them that we will implement their demands one by one. I am sticking to my word. A decision on the retirement benefits of the ASHAs will be taken in a month after detailed studies on the state finances,” said Satheesan.He added that the cabinet has approved hiking of monthly honorariums of Anganwadi workers and helpers as well as pre-primary teachers and cooks by ₹1000. “Their wages are extremely low. ₹1000 is also not a big hike, but we will take further decisions after studying the financial situation of the state,” he said.Satheesan also announced that a special investigation team of the Kerala police will conduct a reinvestigation into the alleged attack on Kerala Students Union activists by gunmen and other security officers of then CM Pinarayi Vijayan during the state-wide Nava Kerala Sadas in August 2023. KSU is the student wing of the Congress.“The high court had recommended a reinvestigation into the incident, but the LDF government did not conduct it. We have decided to order it,” said Satheesan, underlining that the move did not constitute political “revenge”.The UDF government has recommended to the Governor Rajendra Arlekar to convene a special session of the Assembly starting May 21 for the swearing-in of the MLAs. Ambalapuzha MLA-elect G Sudhakaran will be the Pro-Tem Speaker. The Governor’s policy address is scheduled on May 29.