Malappuram panchayat pass resolution for excluding govt staff from Priyadarshini scheme

Malappuram,August 10

An Indian Union Muslim League (IUML)-ruled grama panchayat in Malappuram district has passed a resolution urging the Kerala government to exclude women government employees from the recently introduced Priyadarshini free travel scheme on KSRTC buses, arguing that the benefit should primarily reach economically weaker sections.

The resolution, moved by Welfare Standing Committee Chairman A.K. Khamarudheen, was approved at the panchayat governing council meeting on Monday. Of the 22 members present, 14 UDF members voted in favour while eight LDF representatives opposed it.

The 23-member panchayat has 15 IUML and eight LDF members. One IUML member was absent. All other IUML representatives present, including seven women members, backed the resolution.

The resolution said the inclusion of government employees, who receive regular salaries and service benefits, should be reconsidered on grounds of social justice and efficient utilisation of public funds. It called for limited government resources to be directed towards people who require greater financial assistance.

The council also raised concerns over the impact of the free travel programme on Kerala’s private bus industry. It said private operators were facing financial pressure following a decline in passenger numbers, affecting the livelihoods of owners, drivers, conductors, mechanics and other workers dependent on the sector.

Noting that private buses and their employees constitute an important part of Kerala’s public transport network, the resolution urged the government to consider their financial difficulties while implementing the scheme.

Panchayat vice-president Mohamed T.T., an IUML Vengara constituency committee member, said the proposal was intended to ensure the scheme’s long-term sustainability.

He said extending free travel to all women could eventually make the programme financially unviable. Restricting benefits to economically weaker sections, or excluding higher-income groups, would help the government continue the scheme for longer while ensuring that assistance reaches those who need it most, he added.