Thiruvananthapuram | Hours after the new UDF government in Kerala announced a Rs 3,000 increase in the honorarium of ASHA workers, former Finance Minister K N Balagopal on Monday criticised the move, saying it fell short of the promises made by the Congress-led front during the Assembly election campaign.

In a Facebook post, Balagopal, a CPI(M) leader, said the UDF had assured ASHA workers that their demands would be addressed in the very first Cabinet meeting if the alliance came to power.

The workers had staged a months-long protest in front of the Secretariat during the previous Left government, demanding that their monthly honorarium be raised to Rs 21,000 and that a retirement benefit of Rs 5 lakh be introduced.

"However, after assuming power, the action taken by him turned out to be a huge disappointment. What has now been announced is only a Rs 3,000 increase," the Kottarakkara MLA wrote, referring to Chief Minister V D Satheesan.

The former minister also defended the record of the previous Left government led by Pinarayi Vijayan, saying it had increased the honorarium of ASHA workers in phases over the years.

According to him, the first Left government had inherited a monthly honorarium of Rs 1,000, which was later raised to Rs 9,000 by the time the second Vijayan government completed its term.

Balagopal further claimed that the Left government had also increased benefits for Anganwadi workers, pre-primary staff, school cooking workers and literacy mission workers.

In its first Cabinet meeting soon after the swearing-in ceremony on Monday, the Satheesan government announced that the monthly remuneration of ASHA workers would be raised by Rs 3,000, taking it to Rs 12,000, and said the remaining promises made in the UDF manifesto would be implemented in a phased manner.