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THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said on Friday that the state was on its way to becoming an “extreme poverty-free state”, a feat achieved by only a few regions in the world and a milestone that every progressive society aspires to reach. Beyond the statistics, he said, this declaration signified that every resident in Kerala now had access to food, shelter, and free medical care.Vijayan called it a proud and humane achievement for Malayalis across the world. “November 1 marks 69 years since Kerala’s formation. Despite being a small state by area, we have achieved global recognition for many accomplishments,” he said. Pinarayi highlighted that the decision to eradicate extreme poverty was made at the first Cabinet meeting of the Left Democratic Front (LDF) government in 2021. Within two months of taking office, the process began, identifying 1,03,099 individuals from 64,006 families across 1,032 local bodies who faced issues related to food, health, shelter, and income. These families are now being lifted out of extreme poverty, he said. The extreme poverty eradication mission is more than just a welfare scheme offering financial aid; it is a broad-based movement aimed at eliminating poverty in all its forms. Rather than defining poverty solely by income, Kerala identified 64,006 of the most vulnerable families using various social and health criteria such as hunger, illness, housing, and employment, he said. Tailored microplans were created for each family to address their specific needs. These plans included provisions for food, healthcare, safe housing, and livelihood support to ensure a stable income. This initiative to include the most marginalised individuals those previously excluded from social security systems forms the cornerstone of New Kerala’s humane and inclusive development vision. This accomplishment was made possible through the collective efforts of government departments, local self-governments, and volunteers. The state government’s commitment to improving the lives of all its citizens is evident in this success. The Chief Minister said that the eradication of extreme poverty is part of the ongoing journey of building New Kerala, a process that has been underway for over a decade. Significant strides in social development have been achieved through major initiatives in education, health, housing, and infrastructure. He said the public education protection mission had elevated public schools to world-class standards. The Aardram project ensured comprehensive healthcare by upgrading primary health centres into family health centres and medical colleges. Efforts were made to revive paddy fields and water bodies, while the Haritha Keralam project focused on restoring the state’s greenery. The Life Mission has turned the dream of owning a home into reality for lakhs of families. It has achieved a pace in housing construction unmatched by any other state in the country. Initiated during the previous LDF government, Life Mission has grown into a globally recognised housing project, delivering remarkable results. Around five lakh houses have been completed, and construction of another one and a half lakh homes is currently underway.
