Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala government has made a laugh-provoking and incredible declaration on October 31. And, it was officially reiterated on the floor of the legislative assembly, on November 1, the state formation day: “There are no extremely poor people in the state”. The boasting continued: Kerala was the country with the maximum number of people living below the poverty line; and such a state has now turned “No more extreme poverty state” ! It was a special session of the assembly.
The same evening, the government organised a mega programme in Thiruvananthapuram for the propaganda of the state’s aforementioned claim. Malayalam matinee idol Mammooty participated in the programme. Two other mega stars Mohanlal, Dada Saheb Phalke Award laureate and Kamalhasan, the best actor award winner, did not turn up despite government propaganda.
But, economists, social scientists, social workers and non-LDF (ruling CPM-led Left Democratic Front) experts are not takers for this hollow declaration. However, Local Self Government minister M.B. Rajesh sees the opposition as ‘politically motivated’. He claimed that the state government has identified the families in extreme poverty through a transparent process. The social scientists go at the claim hammer and tongs.
An open letter signed by about twenty economists and social activists question the credibility of the process in which the state government identified 64,006 families as extremely poor, and the parameters used for declaring that there are no families in the extreme poor category. Social scientist and academician R.V.G. Menon and renowned economist K.P. Kannan are among the signatories. The letter urged the Government of Kerala to reveal the details about the study used to identify the extremely poor people. The signatories asked whether the 1.16 lakhs tribal families in the state as well as the 5.92 lakhs people under the Anthyodaya Anna Yojana are out of extreme poverty. They asked what is the credible record for proving that extreme poverty is a thing of the past. Which agency collected the data for the extreme poverty eradication project ? Whether only 64,006 families are officially found to be in the extreme poor conditions ? They are afraid, families receiving schemes for those in the extreme poverty are going to get eliminated from the list.
BJP state president Rajeev Chandrasekhar alleged that the declaration is an election trick of the CM-led Left Democratic Front (LDF). The statistics disclosed by the government are having lot of contradictions. According to the World Bank records, Kerala is the most backward state in poverty eradication. The government which did not do anything during that last nine and half years, have now come out with stunts. More than 1.5 lakhs people in the state still await response to their applications for housing.
BJP state general secretary M.T. Ramesh described the declaration as mere lie mongering. It is not clear which criterion was used to ascertain the figures. Minister G.R. Anilkumar stated in the assembly, in September, that there are six lakhs poor people in the state. How did the government lift such a huge number of people from the poverty that fast. Thousands of people do not have own houses. Neeti Ayog records say that there are numerous people under the extreme poor category.
AICC general secretary K.C. Venugopal MP said that the declaration is nothing but PR stunt. They use the starving people as a tool to win the elections. Central government provides rice and wheat for 5.29 lakhs yellow ration cards. Then how can the government say that the number of people have come down to 64,006. Leader of the Opposition V.D. Satheesan said that LDF election manifesto had declared that there were 4.5 lakhs extremely poor people.
Families that lacked adequate income, food, health care and shelter were identified as extremely poor and they were included in the government’s welfare schemes with the support of multiple government agencies. Social Audit Society Kerala constituted under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee scheme has been evaluating the implementation of the project as an independent agency.
Meanwhile there are allegations that the mega programme organised in Thiruvananthapuram has cost Rs 1.5 cr and this amount has been spent from the funds for the poverty eradication schemes.
Even the laymen do not see an iota of credibility in the government declaration. Every one knows that this is one of the several election stunts of the LDF and chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan. It also helps them by diverting people’s attention from the Sabarimala gold loot.
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