Thiruvananthapuram: In a landmark declaration coinciding with Kerala Piravi Day, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Saturday announced that Kerala has become the first state in India to eradicate extreme poverty, marking what he described as a transformative milestone in the state’s welfare history.
This announcement was made at a special one-day sitting of the 140-member Kerala Assembly that was convened at 9 a.m.
However, the event was marred by protests from the opposition Congress-led UDF, which boycotted the session, terming the declaration “a grand deception”.
Leader of the Opposition V.D. Satheesan alleged that the move was “a scripted publicity show”, noting that advertisements proclaiming Kerala as poverty-free had already appeared in newspapers before the Assembly met.
Opposition members accused the government of bypassing legislative procedure and staged a sit-in protest at the Assembly gate.
However, rejecting the allegations on the floor of the Assembly, Chief Minister Vijayan said the announcement was planned in advance for Kerala Formation Day and that the Opposition’s reaction reflected “its habitual negativity”.
“Calling it a fraud is because they are used to doing such things. The Left government delivers on its word, which is our tradition,” he said.
Vijayan described the achievement as “the beginning of a new era for Kerala,” achieved through extensive public participation and micro-level planning.
Beneficiaries were identified through a participatory process involving all sections of society, he said, adding that individual family plans were prepared to ensure sustainable outcomes.
As per official data, the state has allocated Rs 60 crore in the 2025–26 Budget to reinforce the anti-poverty mission.
When the programme began, 90.7 per cent of rural households and 88.89 per cent of urban households were below the poverty line.
Under the initiative, 4,677 families received houses through the Life Mission project, while 2,711 families were first allotted land to build homes.
All beneficiaries have been ensured three meals a day, the Chief Minister said, adding that Kerala “now stands tall as a state where no family goes hungry or homeless”.
Outside the Assembly, after staging the walkout, Satheesan, along with the entire opposition legislators, said one of the main reasons for this sham announcement is to divert attention from the ongoing Sabarimala gold heist case, and their consistently demanding the resignation of the Devasom Minister and the ouster of the Travancore Devasom Board.
“It’s strange that when Vijayan made the announcement, there was a media report that in the state capital city, a poor woman died of starvation,” he claimed.
In the evening, the same announcement is going to be made at a public meeting when Vijayan will be flanked by legendary superstars – Mammootty, Mohanlal, and Kamal Haasan.
(IANS)
