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Kerala News: Congress-led opposition UDF termed this claim as fraud and boycotted the session in protest.
Kerala News: Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan announced in the Assembly on Saturday that the state has become free from extreme poverty. Vijayan made this announcement in the special session of the House. The Congress-led opposition UDF termed the claim as a fraud and boycotted the session in protest. As soon as the special assembly session began, Leader of Opposition in the Assembly VD Satheesan said that the CM’s statement through Rule 300 is fraud and contempt of the rules of the House. Satheesan said that therefore we cannot participate in it and are completely boycotting the session. After this the opposition walked out of the House raising slogans. Responding to the opposition’s allegations, the Chief Minister said that when the UDF says fraud, it is referring to its own behavior. He said that we only say what we can implement. This is our answer to the opposition leader.
Kerala gave a new model to the country
The Chief Minister said that with the eradication of extreme poverty from the state, Kerala is presenting a new model to the nation as a laboratory of welfare initiatives which other states can emulate and benefit from. He said that the project was successfully completed due to public participation and coordinated efforts of various government departments and local bodies. Vijayan further said that measures like providing welfare pension to about 62 lakh families, houses to about 4.70 lakh homeless families, setting up about 6,000 public health centres, free health insurance to 43 lakh families and land to four lakh families have helped in significantly reducing the extent of extreme poverty in Kerala. He said that this achievement has proved that if people move forward with determination, nothing is impossible. But this is not the end, it is a new beginning. We will ensure that extreme poverty does not re-emerge. Vigilant action is needed now to maintain an extreme poverty-free situation.
Success achieved through welfare programs
The Marxist leader said that for this, proper inspection needs to be done from time to time. The government will take steps for this. A blueprint of activities has been prepared at various levels. He said that the state government has worked to improve the standard of living of families living in extreme poverty and ensure social justice and equality. The Chief Minister said that with the eradication of extreme poverty from the state, the state has made progress in the Sustainable Development Index envisioned by the United Nations. He said that the continuous implementation of welfare programs despite economic difficulties by the previous progressive governments had greatly helped in reducing the population below the poverty line in Kerala. He said that the process of eradicating extreme poverty is a continuation of the earlier steps taken to implement the Universal Public Distribution System and eliminate landlessness and homelessness.
Difficult target achieved through public participation
CM Vijayan said that although the target was difficult to achieve, it was accomplished in a time bound manner with public participation. He said the decision to eradicate extreme poverty from the state was taken in the first cabinet of the second LDF government in 2021. The CM said the project was implemented on a pilot basis in Wadakkanchery Municipality, Anchuthengu and Thirunelli gram panchayats after identifying beneficiaries through a wide participatory process. He said that later it was expanded to the entire state. The CM said that as part of the project, micro plans were prepared for each of the 64,006 beneficiary families, categorized into short-term, medium-term and long-term programmes. Kerala has spent more than Rs 1,000 crore on extreme poverty alleviation.
