Kerala has become the first state in India to eradicate extreme poverty, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan announced in the state Assembly on Saturday, marking the occasion of the state’s formation day.
In a special session of the House convened to mark Kerala Piravi, Vijayan said the milestone was a historic achievement for the state and its people.
“Today's Kerala Piravi marks a place in history because we have succeeded in making Kerala the first Indian state without extreme poverty. This Legislative Assembly has witnessed many historic laws and policy declarations. The Assembly now meets at a moment that marks yet another milestone in the creation of a Nava Kerala,” Vijayan said.
He added that the eradication of extreme poverty was among the key decisions taken during the first cabinet meeting after his ministry was sworn in in 2021, fulfilling one of the government’s most important electoral promises.
However, the announcement triggered sharp criticism from the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF), which described the statement as “pure fraud” and boycotted the session in protest.
Kerala, already recognised for achieving 100 per cent literacy, full electrification and digital literacy, implemented many targeted welfare initiatives to lift thousands of people out of extreme poverty.
According to the Chief Minister, the state government invested over Rs 1,000 crore to ensure daily food for 20,648 families, including 2,210 that received hot meals, provided medical treatment and medicines to 85,721 individuals, and built or repaired thousands of homes.
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Vijayan said more than 5,400 new houses had been built or were under construction, 5,522 homes were repaired, and 2,713 landless families were provided plots to build their residences.
Additionally, 21,263 people received essential documents such as ration cards, Aadhaar and pensions for the first time, while 4,394 families were supported with livelihood projects.
“Instead of a one-size-fits-all policy, the government identified 64,006 vulnerable families and created specific micro-plans for each one’s unique needs,” he said in a post.
Local Self-Government Minister MB Rajesh said Kerala’s Extreme Poverty Eradication Programme (EPEP) was implemented through a transparent and participatory process involving micro-level projects across the state.
Rajesh noted that the achievement was the result of coordinated efforts across political lines, with participation from local bodies under both the LDF and UDF administrations.
Criticising the opposition for rejecting the government’s announcement, Rajesh said, “It is not as if we suddenly decided one fine morning to announce that Kerala is free from extreme poverty.”
As the special session began, Leader of Opposition VD Satheesan accused the Chief Minister of misleading the House. “The Chief Minister’s statement is pure fraud and in contempt of House rules. So, we cannot join in that and are completely boycotting the session,” he said, before opposition members walked out shouting slogans.
Responding to the protest, Vijayan took a dig at the UDF, saying, “When they say ‘fraud’, they are referring to 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.”
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