Overview
- Chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan made the announcement in a special Assembly session on Kerala Piravi as the opposition staged a walkout.
- The Extreme Poverty Eradication Programme launched in 2021 identified 64,006 families (1,03,099 people) using four deprivation criteria and created a micro-plan for each household.
- Government data cite roughly Rs 1,000 crore in spending and outputs including 5,400-plus new homes, 5,522 repairs, land for 2,713 families, daily food support for 20,648 families, and medical aid for 85,721 people.
- The Congress-led UDF called the claim “pure fraud,” and 23 economists and activists questioned the methodology and its reconciliation with 5.92 lakh Antyodaya Anna Yojana families.
- Critics urged publication of the full survey and validation report, while officials highlighted a participatory process led by local bodies, Kudumbashree, and health workers.