Left govt in Kerala enters fourth year, CM says poverty to end by 2025

As the Left government in Kerala marks its fourth year in office, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said on Wednesday the government plans to develop a knowledge economy and eradicate extreme poverty in the state by November 1, 2025.

Listing out achievements of the Kerala government, Vijayan said in a statement that the consecutive Left governments have focused on developing basic infrastructure in the state.

"This government is striving to transform Kerala into a knowledge economy, emphasising achievements in infrastructure development and the welfare sector. As part of it, we are addressing deficiencies and eliminating gaps in various areas. Kerala already has the lowest poverty rate in India, and we are now taking steps towards eradicating extreme poverty. By November 1, 2025, Kerala aims to become a state free of extreme poverty," Vijayan said.

Vijayan said that while the Union government fails to fill the numerous vacancies in various Central government establishments, including the Indian Railways and other Central public sector undertakings, the Kerala Public Service Commission stands as a model for the entire country.

"The Left government has given 2.5 lakh jobs through the PSC since 2016. The government has also created 30,000 more posts, and a special recruitment board was formed for the recruitment in the state public sector undertakings," Vijayan said.

Vijayan said the Left government has received various global accolades and recognition, but the Union government is choking the state through financial strangulation.

He claimed that when the UDF government was in power in 2016, Kerala's own revenue constituted only 26 per cent of the state's total revenue, while under the LDF government, it has significantly increased to 73 per cent.

"There has been a Rs 30,000 crore increase in tax revenue. In recent years, Kerala has managed to fund most of its expenditures through its own revenue sources. We had achieved this despite the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic," Vijayan added.

Vijayan said the general education system in the state, which was in shambles during the UDF rule, was upgraded to international standards by the Left government.