THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Saturday declared Kerala free of extreme poverty, saying it was the first state to achieve the feat. He made the announcement during a special assembly session convened to mark the state’s 69th formation day. Congress-led opposition, however, walked out of the House, terming the declaration a politically motivated “hoax”, made without any scientific basis. The CM said the Left govt had through a meticulous process identified 64,006 extremely poor families and lifted them out of abject poverty through micro plans. He added that successive govts had contributed to this achievement over time. Vijayan said the accomplishment marked a major milestone in the march towards creating a new Kerala. “Every Kerala Piravi Day (state foundati

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