UDF has no plans to revive Loka Kerala Sabha in LDF-era format: Satheesan

The United Democratic Front (UDF) government has no plans to revive the Loka Kerala Sabha in the manner it was conducted during the previous Left Democratic Front (LDF) government’s tenure, Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan said here on Monday (September 21, 2026).

In a statement, Mr. Satheesan reiterated that discontinuing the Loka Kerala Sabha was a “political decision” of the UDF and that there had been no change in its position. Furthermore, the government has not allocated any funds for the sixth edition of the Loka Kerala Sabha, he said.

The Loka Kerala Sabha secretariat currently has an office. Funds have been allocated solely for its administrative expenses and for programs, such as the Business Leadership Meet conducted through NoRKA (department of Non-Resident Keralites Affairs).

Expatriate welfare schemes are a top priority for the government, and the allocated funds are intended for the preliminary activities required to implement such proposals, he said.

The statement came amid media reports that the UDF government was considering continuing the Loka Kerala Sabha initiative. The State has recently sanctioned ₹2 crore for covering administrative expenses and ₹1 crore each for the Pravasi Mission, a key recommendation of the fourth Loka Kerala Sabha, and the Sherpa project, which aims to guide non-resident investors.

The UDF had earlier criticised the Loka Kerala Sabha for categorising expatriates and alleged that it involved extravagant spending.

Loka Kerala Sabha is a platform established by the previous LDF government to connect the global Malayali diaspora and the platform invites Non Resident Keralites (NRK’s) to become active stakeholders in the State’s legislative and developmental journey.