THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Kerala has succeeded in elevating 78.74 % families out of extreme poverty till date. A total of 50,401 families have moved out of the extreme poverty list as on April 15, said Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.
Briefing the media on Wednesday, Pinarayi said that the majority of those still in extreme poverty are ones who require a steady income and secure housing.
The government aims to declare the state free of extreme poverty by this November, he added. As an initial step, Dharmadam has been declared as the first constituency with no extremely poor families among its residents.
According to the chief minister, the extreme poverty eradication initiative, which was launched in 2023, achieved 47.89 % success in the first phase, with the second phase currently in progress.
Of the 5350 families that need steady income, assistance has been given to 4359 families through the Upajeevanam project of Kudumbashree Mission, local bodies and other departments.
Financial assistance for house construction was given to 3143 families requiring only housing. Similarly, the construction of houses for 699 families that required both land and housing too has been completed.
Renovation of 4049 houses has also been completed, said the Chief Minister.
Pinarayi said the second phase of 'Manassodithiri Mannu' to identify land for the landless is currently on. So far, 8.89 acres of land have been identified through this campaign, while another 5.5 acres of revenue land have also been identified.