Steps have been taken to pave the way for an increase in the salaries and allowances of ministers and MLAs in Kerala. A cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan approved the bill on Wednesday. It is expected to be introduced in the Assembly on Thursday. The salaries of MLAs in the state were last revised in 2018. This marks the beginning of a process of revising salaries and allowances after nearly eight years. However, the proposed increase and the new pay scale are not yet known.

This Cabinet decision comes after Parliamentary Affairs Minister Sunny Joseph announced a day earlier that the proposal for an increase in salaries and allowances was under consideration after discussions with leaders of various political parties. On Wednesday, the government approved the bill and decided to move forward. After its introduction in the Assembly, further processing of the bill will be completed. It is currently unclear how much the proposed increase will be and when it will be implemented. Final details regarding the revision of salaries and allowances will be available only after the bill's process progresses.

The Cabinet also decided to provide a government job to Athulya, the daughter of Sudhakaran, who died in the Nenmara double murder case in Palakkad district. Sudhakaran was murdered by the accused, Chenthamara, on January 27, 2025. Additionally, special financial assistance has been approved for the higher education of Athulya's younger sister, Akhila. These government decisions are aimed at providing financial support to the victim's family and helping their younger daughter continue her education.

Regarding housing assistance, the Cabinet has also decided to provide relief to eligible families from Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and fishermen communities. Administrative approval has been given to increase the amount of assistance for house construction under the Special Housing Scheme. Families from Scheduled Castes and fishermen communities will now receive Rs. 6 lakh instead of Rs. 4 lakh. Meanwhile, the assistance amount for Scheduled Tribe families has been increased from ₹600,000 to ₹800,000. This amendment will provide eligible families from these communities with greater financial assistance for housing construction than previously available.

Proposals related to sports and police recruitment also received Cabinet approval. Vidarsha K. Vinod, who won two silver medals in shooting while representing India at the 2026 Asian Games, has been given a government job. To increase female participation in police constable recruitment, the prescribed ratio of men to women has been changed from 9:1 to 7:3. Additionally, it has been decided to refer 48 vacancies from the 86 sub-inspector posts reallocated in the police department to the Kerala Public Service Commission as regular vacancies.

The Cabinet also approved the inclusion of the Pattriya and Saliya communities in the Other Backward Classes (OBC) list, based on the recommendation of the Kerala State Backward Classes Commission. According to the proposal, the Pattari community will be included in the list at serial number 55, and the Saliya community at serial number 62. This change pertains to Schedule III of Part I of the Kerala State and Subordinate Services Rules, 1958. Following cabinet approval, the process of amending the relevant rules will proceed. Thus, the meeting decided on several important proposals, ranging from the salaries and allowances of public representatives to housing, government employment, police recruitment, and the list of backward classes.