The poverty eradication scheme is being projected as one of the major achievements of the Pinarayi Vijayan government.
Credit: PTI Photo
Thiruvananthapuram: Even as the BJP leadership in Kerala as well as the Congress have been alleging that the CPI(M) government was making false claims over poverty eradication, the Economic Survey released by the Centre on Thursday hails the Kerala poverty eradication model.
It has come as an impetus to the CPI(M)-led Left Democratic Front as the extreme poverty eradication scheme is being projected as one of the major achievements of the Pinarayi Vijayan government.
Kerala was declared as an extreme poverty free state last November with the state government claiming that 1,03,099 persons from 64,006 families have been lifted out of extreme poverty. The left front also claims that it was for the first time after China, that a government has executed such a large scheme successfully.
Even in his reaction to the Kerala Budget on Thursday, BJP state president Rajeev Chandrasekhar said that the state government was unleashing a false campaign that extreme poverty was eradicated in the state.
"The rate of extreme poverty was only 1.24 per cent in 2013-14. In ten years Kerala could only bring out 2.72 lakh persons from poverty even after spending Rs 1,000 crore, whereas Uttar Pradesh and Bihar could bring out 5.93 crore and 3.77 crore respectively out of poverty," Chandrasekhar said in the statement.
At the same time, the Economic Survey hailed Kerala poverty eradication model along with Bihar government's 'Satat Jeevikoparjan Yojana (SJY)'.
"Both SJY and the Kerala model showcase the involvement of the community and a multipronged strategy with continuous support and monitoring to ‘push’ the vulnerable out of the vicious cycle through handholding support, training, access to finance, and basic necessities. These interventions enable households to become self reliant and resilient even in times of crisis," the Economic Survey says.
It also explains how Kerala identified the most vulnerable households with the support of frontline workers of ASHA (Accredited Social Health Activist), Anganwadi workers, Kudumbashree and activist groups.
Essential documents were provided to them and brought them under the purview of social security pension and health insurance and also ensured food and medicine, the Economic survey says.