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Senior MLA G Sudhakaran on Wednesday was sworn in as the pro tem speaker of the Keralam Legislative Assembly at Raj Bhavan in Thiruvananthapuram.
The oath-taking ceremony was held in the presence of Keralam Chief Minister VD Satheesan and Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar. This comes after the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) officially assumed power in Keralam on Monday, ending ten years of Communist Party of India-led (Marxist) Left Democratic Front (LDF) rule. In a grand, packed ceremony held at the Central Stadium in the state capital, 61-year-old VD Satheesan took the oath of office and secrecy as the state's 13th Chief Minister. Wasting no time after the grand ceremony, Chief Minister Satheesan chaired his first Cabinet meeting, rolling out an immediate policy implementation to fulfil core election promises. Hours after taking the oath as Keralam Chief Minister, VD Satheesan on Monday 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. At a grand ceremony held at the Central Stadium in the State capital, after a rendition of the Vande Mataram and the Jana Mana Gana, Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar administered the oath of office and secrecy to 61-year-old Satheesan and his entire cabinet of ministers in a stadium that was packed, with spectators lining the road to the stadium. Along with Satheesan, the Keralam Governor also swore in 20 ministers, which included 14 first-time ministers, two women and two representatives from the Scheduled Caste community. Congress had 11 ministers, its main ally, the Indian Union Muslim League, which won 22 Assembly seats, had 5 ministers, the Kerala Congress (Joseph), the Kerala Congress (Jacob), the Revolutionary Socialist Party and the CPI (M) had one minister each in the new cabinet. The UDF has also decided to appoint senior legislator Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan as Speaker of the Assembly, while Shanimol Usman will serve as Deputy Speaker, Satheesan said in a press conference. The Assembly elections to the 140-member House were held on April 9, with results declared on May 4. The Congress-led UDF won 102 seats, the LDF secured 35, and the BJP won 3. (ANI)
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