India (Commonwealth Union)_ Ahead of Kerala Piravi Day, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan announced that Kerala is on the verge of achieving a historic milestone, becoming India’s first state to eliminate extreme poverty. In a social media post, he said that while Niti Aayog has already identified Kerala as having the lowest poverty rate in the country, at just 0.55 percent, the state government wanted to go further to ensure that no one was left behind.
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As part of this mission, officials identified 103,099 individuals across 64,006 families in 1,032 local self-governing bodies who were living in extreme poverty. Teams visited every family to understand their real needs, ranging from food and healthcare to housing and income support. Based on this data, individual development plans were created to help each household move toward a stable and dignified life. The effort, supported by Kudumbashree, local governments, and various departments, involved an investment of more than ₹1,000 crore.
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To ensure food security, 20,648 families who once faced food shortages now have consistent access to meals. Of these, 18,438 families receive food kits through ration shops, while 2,210 families who cannot cook for themselves are served cooked meals through Kudumbashree’s community kitchens. In the health sector, over 85,000 people from nearly 30,000 families have received medical treatment and essential medicines. Around 15,000 single-member households got health support, and nearly 6,000 individuals benefited from palliative care.
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Additionally, through the “Right Fast” initiative, more than 21,000 people obtained key documents like ration cards, Aadhaar, and pensions, helping them become part of the state’s welfare network. For those without proper housing, more than 5,400 new homes have been completed or are underway, and 5,522 existing houses have been renovated. Under income-generation schemes such as “Ujjivanam,” over 4,300 families have started earning a steady income. The government also provided land to landless families, allocating nearly 2,833 cents to 439 households, including land distributed under the “Manasodithiri Mannu” scheme.
The Chief Minister noted that making Kerala free from extreme poverty was one of the first commitments of the current LDF government in 2021. He said the achievement reflects the state’s dedication to social justice and equality, setting a model for others to follow. On Kerala Piravi Day on November 1, the state will officially mark this milestone as a step toward a more inclusive and prosperous future.
