Overview
- Kerala became the first state to declare itself "extreme poverty-free," Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan announced during a special Assembly session on formation day.
- The Extreme Poverty Alleviation Project launched in 2021 created micro-plans for 64,006 families with dedicated outlays of Rs 50 crore in 2023–24 and 2024–25 and Rs 60 crore in 2025–26.
- The administration credits broad welfare measures, including pensions to about 62 lakh families, housing for about 4.7 lakh households, thousands of public health centres, and free health insurance for 43 lakh families.
- The Congress-led UDF boycotted proceedings, labeled the claim "fraud," and pointed to a reported starvation death and ration-card data to question credibility and timing before local polls.
- A government order cited by The Week shows Rs 1.5 crore was redirected from housing support to fund a public event for the announcement, while officials pledge continued monitoring under a new blueprint.