100 days of the VD Satheesan government: Several hits, some misses

The United Democratic Front (UDF) government in Kerala, led by VD Satheesan, marked its 100 days in office on August 26, coinciding with the Onam harvest festival. The period saw key decisions for welfare initiatives, particularly focusing on women’s empowerment, but fell short of fulfilling some manifesto promises and faced opposition criticism on political matters.

The UDF won a landslide election in May, gaining 102 out of 140 seats after a decade in opposition. Satheesan, who had never been a minister, was chosen as chief minister by the AICC, taking over from his party colleagues KC Venugopal and Ramesh Chennithala. Cabinet formation was swift, with ministers largely supportive of Venugopal, leaving Satheesan with limited control.

One significant success was the 'Priyadarshini' scheme, offering free rides for women on KSRTC buses, which launched on June 15 and saw a surge in women ridership. The state will allocate ₹800 crore annually to KSRTC for the scheme. The government also hiked pensions for ASHAs (Accredited Social Health Activists) and women workers in public health and education, recognizing their support during the elections.

Police initiatives against drugs, termed 'Operation Toofan' under Chennithala, led to the arrest of over 10,000 individuals, with significant seizures of MDMA and ganja. The government established a separate department for elderly welfare, studying Japan’s approach to support the rising proportion of elderly citizens (projected to be 20.9% by 2031).

However, four out of five key ‘Indira’ guarantees from the UDF manifesto remain unfulfilled, including pension hikes, financial assistance for college girls, health coverage for families, and interest-free loans for young entrepreneurs, due to financial constraints. The UDF’s decision to implement the PM-SHRI scheme in Kerala angered the IUML, the coalition’s second-largest partner, questioning the state’s ability to withdraw from the program.

Additionally, the transfer of 49% stake in the Adani-led Vizhinjam port to the Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) without prior state notification sparked political controversy, with the UDF leaving the matter to an expert committee for resolution.