Keralam govt forms special committee under KM Chandrasekhar to release white paper on state's finances
Thiruvananthapuram, May 19
The Keralam government has constituted a high-level special committee to prepare and release a comprehensive white paper on the state's current financial situation, officials said on Tuesday.
The decision was taken during a high-level meeting of senior officials from the Finance Department, which was chaired by Keralam Chief Minister VD Satheesan.
Former Cabinet Secretary Dr. KM Chandrasekhar has been appointed as the chairman of the newly formed committee.
Additional Chief Secretary (Finance Department) KR Jyothilal will serve as the convenor of the panel.
The committee also comprises eminent experts, including noted economist Dr. Narayanan and the Director of the Centre for Development Studies (CDS), Dr. Veeramani, as its members.
Earlier on May 18, Hours after taking the oath as Keralam Chief Minister, VD Satheesan announced free travel for women on KSRTC buses, the creation of a dedicated department for elderly welfare, and a Rs 3,000 increase in the honorarium of ASHA workers in his first Cabinet meeting.
The cabinet also constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to investigate alleged attacks on Congress leaders during the Nava Kerala Yatra, led by former Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, in 2023.
The Chief Minister said the Cabinet approved a Rs 3,000 monthly increase in the honorarium of ASHA workers, fulfilling a promise made during their prolonged protest outside the Secretariat.
He further announced a Rs 1,000 monthly hike for Anganwadi workers and helpers, school cooking staff, pre-primary teachers and ayahs.
"The first Cabinet meeting to bring Indira guarantees given by UDF - a free bus journey in KSRTC buses from 15th June. We are going to constitute a new department for old aged persons. The Cabinet has decided to increase the payment to Asha workers by Rs 3000," CM Satheesan said.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Free bus travel for women and increased honorariums for ASHA workers—these are great moves! But where's the money coming from? 🤔 The white paper better explain how they'll fund this without breaking the bank. Also, an SIT for attacks during the Nava Kerala Yatra? That feels like settling old scores rather than governing. Hope this isn't politics over progress.
As someone who's been watching Kerala's economy closely, this is a wise step. The state's fiscal deficit has been worrying, and a white paper by Dr. Chandrasekhar and experts like Dr. Narayanan should give us a clear picture. But I wonder—will they include recommendations or just diagnostics? Also, the Rs 3,000 hike for ASHA workers is good, but they deserve more given their work during COVID.
Interesting to see this from Kerala. A white paper on finances is overdue—many states could learn from this. But the SIT for political attacks seems like a distraction. Focus on the economy, not past grievances! The free bus travel for women is progressive though—will it be sustainable? Kudos to the CM for acting on ASHA workers' demands.
White paper? Sounds like a good idea, but I'm skeptical. Kerala's finances have been mismanaged for years—high debt, low revenue. This committee might just be a PR exercise to justify austerity later. Meanwhile, the Rs 3,000 hike for ASHA workers is a token—they've been fighting for months. The real test is implementation. Let's see if the white paper leads to actual reforms.
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