Kerala becomes 1st state to eradicate ‘extreme poverty’ | Kochi News

KOCHI: Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Saturday declared in the state assembly that Kerala is now free of extreme poverty. The announcement was made during a special session of the assembly held to mark Kerala ‘Piravi’, the state’s formation day. The Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) opposition rejected the claim, calling it “pure fraud,” and boycotted the session in protest. As proceedings began, Leader of the Opposition V. D. Satheesan criticised the declaration, saying the CM’s statement under Rule 300 was “in contempt” of House rules. “We cannot join in that and are completely boycotting the session,” he said, while leading a walkout amid slogans denouncing the government’s claim as “fraud” and “shameful.” Responding to the allegations, CM Vijayan said the opposition’s comments reflected their own behaviour. “We only say what we can implement. We have implemented what we had said. That is our reply to the opposition leader,” he told the assembly.Extreme poverty is defined by the World Bank as living on less than Rs 180 per person per day. India’s Multi-Dimensional Poverty Index (MPI), on the other hand, considers factors such as nutrition, housing, sanitation, education, and access to basic services. According to NITI Aayog’s 2023 MPI report, only 0.55% of Kerala’s population is multidimensionally poor—the lowest rate in the country. The announcement follows the state’s Extreme Poverty Eradication Project (EPEP), launched in 2021. The initiative began with a ground-level survey conducted by Kudumbashree, in coordination with women’s self-help networks, ASHA-anganwadi workers, and local bodies. The survey identified 64,006 families—roughly 0.2% of the state’s population—living in severe deprivation. Individual micro-plans were then created to address each family’s specific challenges, ranging from lack of housing and land to chronic illness, absence of income, and difficulties accessing government benefits due to missing documentation. Government data shows the programme has delivered significant results: 5,422 new houses were built, and 5,522 homes were renovated. Land totalling 28.32 acres was allotted to 439 families. Around 34,672 families earned an additional Rs 77 crore through unskilled labour, while 4,394 families received support for self-employment initiatives. Health interventions included assistive devices for 579 people, organ transplant aid for seven, palliative care for 5,777, and health services for 85,721 people across 29,427 families. Food support included cooked meals for 2,210 families, food kits for 18,438 families, and daily meals for 20,648 families. The project also facilitated 21,263 instances of emergency aid and document assistance. The official declaration will be held at Chandrasekharan Nair Stadium on Kerala Piravi, the state’s formation day. Bollywood and Malayalam actors Mammootty, Mohanlal and Kamal Haasan are expected to attend as special guests, alongside state ministers and the leader of the opposition.