On November 1, the state-related celebrations on the Formation Day of Kerala, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan will formally announce the state as free of extreme poverty at a grand state-level event at Thiruvananthapuram. The declaration is the fruitful end of the Extreme Poverty Eradication Programme (EPEP) a flagship program which was implemented in 2021 with the aim being to see to it that not a single resident of Kerala is living in extreme poverty.
The success can be attributed to the transparent, participatory, and community-based strategy that has thousands of micro-level projects throughout the state according to Local Self-Government Minister M.B. Rajesh. A decision made by the first cabinet of the current Left Democratic Front (LDF) was EPEP which was conceived as a five-year plan. It was aimed at recognizing and empowering the poorest of families so that all can have access to the basic needs, livelihoods that are sustainable and safe homes.
As an effort to alleviate extreme poverty, over 64,000 families living below the poverty line have been boosted through ensuring that they have a steady supply of food, health services, education, income generating activities and housing services. The programme was implemented by the local self governments, Kudumbashree units and even by the community organisations so that even the most vulnerable and remote areas of the society received developmental efforts.
Minister Rajesh emphasized the fact that the success of Kerala is a historic event in continuing its process of inclusive development and social justice. It was a people-based initiative, which was intended to eradicate extreme poverty in a sustainable manner. Kerala is today capable of boasting 100 percent of its target and that is what he said.
In making this declaration, Kerala is the first state in India to be officially declared as being free of extreme poverty, and it reiterates its previously held belief in the human development, equality and welfare oriented governance.
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