Welfare must go beyond words

Development becomes truly meaningful only when it reaches every section of society. The same applies to welfare initiatives. When welfare benefits include the majority of people, it gains real value. As Kerala moves closer to the local body elections and with assembly polls on the horizon, the recent welfare announcements made by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan stand out for their wide reach. The scale of benefits announced in a single day is comparable to what one would expect in a state budget. From social security pensioners, government employees, farmers, women, youth and ASHA workers, the government's support has touched multiple groups.

Among the major highlights are the increase in social security pensions from Rs 1,600 to Rs 2,000 per month, and the launch of a new women’s security pension scheme offering Rs 1,000 per month to women aged between 35 and 60 from poor families. Together, these schemes will benefit around 93.34 lakh people. Other measures include one instalment of pending DA for government employees and pensioners, an increase in the support price for rubber and paddy, and a Rs 1,000 monthly honorarium hike for Anganwadi workers, helpers, and literacy mission instructors. Cooking workers will receive a Rs 1,100 wage increase, and guest lecturers will see their pay go up by as much as Rs 2,000. These changes are not just nominal but provide huge relief for each category.

When educated youth from poor families remain unemployed, the pain of joblessness is not just personal- it becomes a burden shared by the entire family. To support such families, the government has introduced a new scheme that will provide Rs 1,000 per month to five lakh eligible young people who have completed basic technical education. The government that has shown concern for the welfare of employees and the difficulties of social security pensioners has now ensured that unemployed youth are not left behind, bringing relief to their families as well. For ASHA workers, who have long been demanding higher wages, the Rs 1,000 increase may seem small compared to their expectations, but the fact that the government has not ignored them offers some comfort.

Whether these announcements are linked to upcoming elections should not concern the beneficiaries. For people struggling with everyday hardships, each act of welfare is a gesture of care and support. Politics may be secondary- daily life comes first. The government, which has shown generosity in announcing welfare schemes, must now focus on two key things. First, the benefits must reach the rightful recipients without fail. Second, there should be no delays in distributing these benefits. Moreover, there should be no corruption or misuse by officials handling welfare funds meant for the poor. Only then can the idea of complete welfare truly hold meaning.