Thiruvananthapuram: A mass survey of three-four months, involving ‘Kudumbashree‘ workers, ASHA workers, and local representatives in Kerala’s civic bodies, led to the identification of 64,006 families and 1,30,009 individuals as ‘extremely poor’, and after that, local bodies prepared ‘micro-plans’ to support each of those families based on their needs—this is how Kerala has become India’s first ‘extreme poverty’-free state.
Launched in 2021, the Kerala government’s ‘Extreme Poverty Eradication Project‘ is now in its tail end. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan will declare his state as the first ‘extreme poverty’-free state in India on 1 November. All ministers, Leader of Opposition V.D. Satheesan, and film stars Mohanlal, Mammootty and Kamal Haasan have been invited to attend.
Speaking to ThePrint, a Local Self Government Department (LSGD) official involved with the initiative said that they identified the ‘extremely poor‘ based on NITI Aayog’s distress indicators for the Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI), including deprivation of food, healthcare, income, and shelter.
According to the 2023 NITI Aayog Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI), Kerala had the lowest proportion of the ‘multidimensionally poor‘ in India. Only 0.55 percent of Kerala’s population was found ‘multidimensionally poor’, followed by 0.84 percent in Goa and 0.85 percent in Puducherry. The NITI Aayog’s MPI measures poverty across 12 indicators, under three dimensions of health, education, and standard of living.
Families facing one or more of these distresses were the beneficiaries of the Kerala government’s ‘Extreme Poverty Eradication Project’ project, with local bodies rolling out need-based interventions to help them.
“Instead of implementing such interventions at the state level, the chief minister suggested that we directly address the needs of beneficiaries. Some people needed assistive services. Others needed medication times, palliative care, or even organ transplants. For others, we provided livelihood support,” the official said.
He added that the initiative was among the first decisions taken at his maiden cabinet meeting by the second Pinarayi Vijayan government in Kerala.
Announcing the 1 November event Wednesday, State Local Self Government Department Minister M.B. Rajesh said that Kerala was going to be the first Indian state to conduct such an exercise.
“Even in the world, only China had done this. So Kerala becomes the first place to conduct such an exercise after China,” he said, adding that implementation required coordination across all government departments, overseen by the chief minister at all steps.
“At every stage, we reviewed the progress under the chief minister’s leadership. It was through this coordinated effort that we achieved this milestone,” Minister Rajesh said.
According to the state government, it allocated Rs 80 crore and Rs 50 crore for the programme in FY 2023–24 and FY 2024–25, respectively, to be spent on health, housing, and livelihood support.
ThePrint reached Kerala Leader of Opposition V.D. Satheesan regarding his attendance at the 1 November event and the United Democratic Front’s stand on the event.
However Satheesan said that the UDF is currently discussing the matter.
Methodology
Minister Rajesh said the survey identified 64,006 families as ‘extremely poor’, but 4,421 single family members died, while families living as nomads—nearly 261 of them—could not be found and at least 47 had entered their details twice, leading to rejections. Then, the state government lifted the remaining 59,277 families out of ‘extreme poverty’.
The beneficiaries of the initiative included Keralites only. From 2021, the state had lifted 30,658 families out of ‘extreme poverty’ during the first phase of its project, which continued till November 2023.
Dharmadam constituency—represented by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan—was declared the first constituency free of ‘extreme poverty’ in April 2025.
Minister Rajesh said that the government achieved this success through inter-departmental coordination. For instance, ‘Kudumbashree‘ implemented the ‘Ujeevanam’ scheme to provide employment opportunities, the transport department ensured free rides for students or beneficiary families, and the revenue department identified land for the landless.
“One of the biggest challenges was ensuring housing for identified families. Beneficiary families, included under the Life Mission scheme, remain lodged in rented homes arranged by local bodies until the houses are ready,” the minister said.
Minister Rajesh further said that the government constructed 3,913 houses, identified land for 1,338 families, provided Rs 2 lakh each for house repairs to 5,651 families, and issued essential documents, such as ration cards, to 21,263 individuals.
The government, he said, will remain vigilant to ensure that families do not slip back into poverty and has been preparing plans.
“Before the official declaration, there will be multiple levels of checks at the local body level,” the minister said, adding that a social audit is now underway among beneficiaries to ensure proper implementation and eligibility verification.
(Edited by Madhurita Goswami)
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