Kerala has announced that it is now free from extreme poverty, becoming the first state in India to do so. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan made this announcement in the state assembly on November 1, which is also Kerala Formation Day.
The state government started the Extreme Poverty Alleviation Project in 2021 to help the poorest families. During surveys, they found 64,006 families (about 1 lakh people) living in extreme poverty. These families were given support for four years to improve their access to food, housing, healthcare, and jobs.
According to Minister MB Rajesh, Kerala already had the lowest poverty rate in India (0.7%), as found in a NITI Aayog study. He said that the project focused on reaching every family still struggling to meet basic needs.
However, the opposition party (UDF) called the government’s claim a “pure fraud” and walked out of the assembly in protest. Opposition leader V. D. Satheesan said the announcement disrespected assembly rules.
Responding to this, CM Vijayan said the government only made claims it could truly achieve, and this project’s success proves their commitment
