The Chief Minister of Kerala officially declared the state to be ‘Extreme Poverty-Free’ at a ceremony held at the Central Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram. The Chief Minister stated that Kerala has achieved the proud status of being a state with no extremely poor citizens, marking a new chapter in the state’s history.
The achievement, realized on the 69th anniversary of the formation of the unified Kerala state (Kerala Piravi), demonstrates that the goal of ‘Nava Kerala’ (New Kerala) is not far away.
Key Achievements and Data Points Shared by the Chief Minister
Social and Economic Success
The CM also presented comparative data with the rest of India:
Poverty: According to NITI Aayog, Kerala has the lowest poverty rate in India. For every 200 people in Kerala, only one is poor, compared to 11 out of 100 people across India.
Wages: The Reserve Bank of India confirms that Kerala offers the highest daily wages to workers in the country. The average daily wage in the construction sector is ₹829 in Kerala, compared to the national average of ₹362.
Happiness: India Today ranks Kerala as the state with the happiest people in the country.
Human Development Index (HDI): Kerala ranks first in India with an HDI score of 0.758, which is above the global average of 0.754 and the Indian average of 0.685.
Quality of Life Index (PQLI): Kerala leads all Indian states with a score of 95.34.
How Extreme Poverty Was Eradicated
The CM detailed the process of the Extreme Poverty Eradication Mission:
Identification: A comprehensive door-to-door process, involving nearly 4 lakh representatives, officials, Kudumbashree workers, and volunteers, identified 64,006 extremely poor families based on four key factors: food, health, income, and shelter.
Microplans: Instead of a generic welfare scheme, the government created ‘Microplans’ tailored to the specific needs of each family.
Example: An elderly person unable to cook was provided cooked meals delivered to their home via Janakeeya Hotels, instead of just a ration kit.
Example: Patients needing medicine received both a pension and assurance of timely medicine delivery through Palliative Care.
Key Outcomes (as of April 1, 2022 onwards):
Food security ensured for 20,648 families.
2,210 families received cooked food delivery.
21,263 emergency services (like Aadhar, ration cards, bank accounts) were provided to the “invisible” citizens previously excluded from benefits.
85,721 individuals received medical treatment and medicine.
5,400+ new houses were completed or under construction, and 5,522 homes were renovated for the beneficiaries.
Ongoing Welfare Initiatives
The CM emphasized that this success is a continuation of comprehensive welfare policies:
Welfare Pensions: Increased from ₹600 (in 2016) to ₹2,000, benefiting 60 lakh people.
LIFE Mission: Provided dignified housing to over 4.68 lakh homeless families.
Public Education Protection Mission: Ensured the growth of public schools, with 10 lakh children returning to the system.
‘Sthree Suraksha’ Pension: A new scheme providing a monthly financial aid of ₹1,000 to poor women (including trans women) aged 35 to 60, benefiting 31.34 lakh women.
The CM concluded that the eradication of extreme poverty is a victory for the state’s ‘People-Centric Alternative Development Model,’ which prioritizes compassion and equality over wealth accumulation.
The status report of the model was handed over by the CM to actor Mammootty, who was a special guest, and the blueprint for the post-eradication plan was given to State Planning Board Chairman, Prof. V. K. Ramachandran.
With input from Keralanews.gov.
For more details: Navamalayalam.com
