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THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan declared Kerala as "an extreme poverty-free state" in the Kerala Assembly on Saturday, coinciding with the 69th anniversary of Kerala's formation day.The announcement was made in the absence of Congress-led opposition UDF members, who walked out, calling the declaration a fraud. The Chief Minister stated that Kerala serves as a laboratory for various welfare initiatives, and this effort to eradicate extreme poverty could set an example for other states to follow. The resolution, read by the Chief Minister, highlighted that the decision to eliminate extreme poverty was made during the first Cabinet meeting of the LDF Government after taking office in 2021. This initiative was also part of the election campaign promises. Within two months of the decision, the process of identifying extreme poverty began, with input from people across various sectors. After thorough data collection and multiple filtering processes, 1,03,099 individuals from 64,006 families across 1,032 local bodies were identified and classified as extremely poor. The chief minister stated that food, health, shelter, and income were the main stress factors used to identify the extremely poor. The government allocated Rs 50 crore each for 2023-24 and 2024-25, with Rs 60 crore set aside for 2025-26. The funds were utilised exclusively for health, housing, and creating livelihood opportunities. According to the NITI Aayog estimates, 0.48 per cent of Kerala's population lived below the poverty line in 2022-23 based on the multi-dimensional poverty index, compared to the national average of 11.28 per cent. This equated to 1,64,640 people living below the poverty line in 2022-23, which is expected to rise to 1,72,800 by 2025 as per NITI Aayog. The chief minister extended support to 1,03,099 individuals in 64,006 families identified as extremely poor by the state, aligning with the NITI Aayog list. He highlighted a special drive to construct houses for 4,677 families and provide land and housing to 2,713 families. For this, 28 acres of land were acquired through a special campaign, with 2.03 acres donated by people under the Manassodhithiri Mannu (Land from the Heart) scheme. The Chief Minister described the declaration of an extreme poverty-free state as the start of a new era, not its conclusion. Pinarayi stated that the government would take measures to ensure extreme poverty does not resurface and will work to sustain the program. He emphasized that the state's success proves that collective effort and dedication can achieve the impossible. Opposition UDF boycotts declaration Meanwhile, the opposition UDF boycotted the declaration. Opposition Leader V D Satheeshan criticized the claim that Kerala is free of extreme poverty, calling it a "big fraud." He announced the boycott of the day's proceedings and led the walkout of opposition members. Satheeshan also cited the Sabarimala gold scam as a reason for their non-cooperation with the government. He stated that their protest against the scam and alleged mismanagement at Sabarimala continues both inside and outside the assembly, demanding the resignation of the Devaswom Minister and the dissolution of the Travancore Devaswom Board. Satheeshan criticized the government, questioning the need for the Assembly declaration when details of the poverty-free program were already public. In response, the Chief Minister remarked, "I don’t understand why the opposition is so agitated. As this is a historic milestone, we believed it was fitting to announce it officially through the Legislative Assembly." Later, the government organized a grand event at the Central Stadium, where the Chief Minister detailed Kerala's success in eradicating extreme poverty and highlighted various pro-people initiatives. Malayalam superstar Mammootty was the chief guest, and the event saw the attendance of the Speaker, ministers, senior LDF leaders, officials, and representatives from local bodies.
