The first Cabinet meeting of the United Democratic Front (UDF) government, which took charge on Monday (May 18, 2026), decided to implement two of the five ‘Indira guarantees’ that the front had promised during the election campaign.

Also read: Kerala CM swearing-in ceremony updates on May 18, 2026

At a press conference following the Cabinet meeting, Kerala Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan announced guarantees such as free bus travel for all women in buses belonging to the Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) and a dedicated department for senior citizens to ensure dignity, care and focused welfare for the elderly.

“I think Kerala will be the first State to have such a department. We will conduct studies on how Japan is implementing schemes for senior citizens, as it has a model worth emulating. The true gauge of how modern a society is is in how it treats its senior citizens,” he said. 

The free bus travel will be implemented from June 15 onwards. The details regarding the implementation of the scheme will be communicated later, said the Chief Minister. 

The government has also decided to increase the honorarium of ASHA workers by ₹3,000, raising it from the existing honorarium of ₹9,000.

“I had gone to the protest venue of the ASHA workers in front of the Secretariat and told them that we will begin implementing their demands one by one from the first Cabinet meeting onwards. I am sticking to that word. A decision on the retirement benefits of the ASHA workers will be taken within a month based on the reports regarding financial liabilities and fiscal impact that we have sought. The government will bring out a White Paper on State Finances,” said Mr. Satheesan.

The honorarium for Anganwadi workers and helpers will be increased by ₹1,000 from the current monthly pay of ₹14,500 to ₹15,000. The honorarium for pre-primary teachers, ayahs and cooks has also been increased by ₹1,000.

The government has recommended that the Governor convene the first session of the Legislative Assembly on May 21 for the swearing-in of the MLAs. The election for the Speaker’s post will be on May 22, while the Governor’s Policy Address is expected on May 29. Former CPI(M) leader G. Sudhakaran, who rebelled against the party and won with UDF support from the Amabalappuzha constituency, has been appointed as the pro-tem speaker.

Senior advocate K Jaju Babu, former legal advisor to Governor Arif Mohammed Khan, has been appointed as the Advocate General. T. Asaf Ali, who served as the Director General of Prosecution under the Oommen Chandy government from 2011-2016, has been reinstated to the post.

The government also decided to constitute a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to carry out a reinvestigation into the alleged attack by former Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s gunman and security officer against Kerala Students Union (KSU) workers who were staging a protest in Alappuzha ahead of the NavaKerala Sadas in Alappuzha in 2023. 

“A Magistrate Court in Alappuzha had issued an order for reinvestigation. Unfortunately, for the past one and a half years, the government has not taken any step regarding this. We are only implementing the Court order. Can it be interpreted as a political vendetta? No,” said Mr. Satheesan.