No more extreme poverty in this state come November 1
What's the story
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan will officially declare the state free of extreme poverty during a celebration held at the Central Stadium in the capital on November 1. The declaration will coincide with the Kerala Piravi Day celebrations in Thiruvananthapuram's Central Stadium. The event will feature prominent personalities such as actors Mohanlal and Mammootty, along with actor-politician Kamal Haasan.
Poverty eradication
What is extreme poverty?
The World Bank defines extreme poverty as living on less than $2.15 (around ₹180) per person per day. However, India uses multidimensional criteria, including nutrition, housing, sanitation, education and access to basic services for assessing extreme poverty. In 2021, NITI Aayog's Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) found Kerala had the lowest rate of multidimensional poverty in India at 0.7%.
Mission impact
Survey identified 64,006 families living in extreme poverty
The same year, the state's Kudumbashree Mission conducted a detailed survey to identify families living in extreme poverty. The survey identified 64,006 families, or about 0.2% of the population, living under such conditions. "We then examined the factors that pushed them into extreme poverty and prepared a micro-plan for each family to address those issues. Under the leadership of the...self-governments, all departments worked together over the past four years to achieve this milestone," Minister for Local Self-Governments MB Rajesh said.
Alleviation efforts
Government's comprehensive approach to poverty alleviation
As part of the initiative, essential documents were provided to 21,263 individuals who previously lacked them. The government also provided new houses to 3,913 families and land allotments to 1,338 families. Repair assistance of up to ₹2 lakh each was extended to 5,651 families for home renovations. Rajesh said eradicating extreme poverty was among the first policy decisions taken by the current Left Democratic Front (LDF) government after assuming office in 2021.
Holistic strategy
Ensuring no new families slip back into extreme poverty
For health-related problems, the Health Department stepped in. "Similarly, the Education, Revenue, and Finance Departments, among others, provided targeted support. For livelihood issues, Kudumbashree implemented interventions through its Ujjeevanam scheme," Rajesh added. Rajesh assured that the state would take all necessary measures to ensure no new families slip back into extreme poverty.