Kerala Announces Onam Welfare Measures for Students, Tribal Seniors, and Elderly Patients

Thiruvananthapuram: As part of the harvesting festival Onam, the Kerala government has announced a series of welfare measures aimed at supporting students, tribal communities, and senior citizens in the state.

Education Minister V. Sivankutty has announced that all beneficiaries of the Midday Meal Scheme, from pre-primary to Class 8, will receive 4 kilograms of rice each for Onam. A total of 24,77,337 students are set to benefit from this initiative.

The rice will be delivered directly to schools by the Civil Supplies Corporation (Supplyco). In addition to the existing transportation charges, an extra 50 paise per kilogram will be provided to cover delivery expenses. The minister also added that in districts where there is a shortage of stock, rice will be sourced from depots in neighboring districts.

The state cabinet has approved an Onam gift of Rs. 1000 each to 52,864 eligible Scheduled Tribe members who are over 60 years of age and do not receive pensions from the central, state, or quasi-government institutions. A total of Rs. 5,28,64,000 will be allocated for this purpose from the Chief Minister’s Distress Relief Fund.

To ease access to healthcare services for the elderly, Health Minister Veena George announced that special OP (Outpatient) counters for senior citizens will be set up starting September 1 in taluk hospitals, district hospitals, general hospitals, specialty hospitals, and medical colleges.

This initiative aims to eliminate the need for elderly patients to wait in long queues. This is in addition to the state's ongoing digital health initiatives. Since April, major hospitals have offered online OP registration as part of the e-Health project. Patients can now scan QR codes at hospitals to obtain OP tickets without having to wait in line. The new counters will further ensure convenience for elderly citizens.