Kerala has become the first state in India to eradicate extreme poverty, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan announced on Saturday during a special session of the state Assembly held on the occasion of Kerala Piravi, the state’s formation day.

“Today’s Kerala Piravi marks a place in history because we have succeeded in making Kerala the first Indian state without extreme poverty,” Vijayan said, calling it a milestone in building a “Nava Kerala”. He noted that the decision to eliminate extreme poverty was among the first taken by his cabinet after assuming office in 2021 and fulfilled a major election promise.

The opposition Congress-led UDF, however, dismissed Vijayan’s announcement as “pure fraud” and boycotted the session in protest.

Kerala, which already holds the distinction of being In

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