Kerala society has braved multiple odds without losing courage, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has said. He was speaking at the Cantonment Maidan here on Wednesday, the last day of the Navakerala Sadas in Kollam.
“Ignoring political divides we have survived floods, Ockhi, Nipah and the COVID-19 pandemic together. At present, the State is going through similar situations. The Centre’s hostility towards Kerala has led to unconstitutional interventions in financial affairs. But the State government is doing everything in its power to fulfil the promises in the manifesto. Alternative systems like the Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board (KIIFB) were revived in this context,” he said.
The Chief Minister added that the Navakerala Sadas, a platform where the public can directly interact with the Cabinet, has been given a grand welcome in all constituencies. “Pandals and maidans could not accommodate the massive crowds. Those who called to boycott the programme have not been able to explain their reason for that. The development initiatives of the State government were implemented with the cooperation of the public. The people of Kerala have extended all their support to the government,” he said.
Speaking at the public outreach programme in the Eravipuram constituency, Minister R. Bindu said that the government aimed at bringing marginalised sections to the mainstream through projects such as the Pattayam Mission, LIFE, and Karunya. “The government is envisioning development activities centred on social justice. This unparalleled development model has catapulted Kerala to global visibility. In this context the Navakerala Sadas has become a platform to discuss development and public welfare,” she said.
Presenting Sree Narayanaguru Open University, Kollam bypass, hill and coastal highways, and national highway development as among the major development initiatives in the district, Minister Saji Cherian said that the hallmark of the government was its efficiency in redressing people’s grievances. “Around 90% petitions received in taluk-district adalats and coastal-forest adalats were settled. This proves the efficiency of the system,” he said.
Only 0.7% extreme poverty
Minister P. Prasad said that it was the first time in the history of the country that the entire Cabinet was reaching out to the people. “When the government came to power, priority was given to the upliftment of people living in extreme poverty. As a result, Kerala has become a State with only 0.7% extreme poverty. By November 1, 2025, Kerala can be declared as a State without extreme poverty,” he said.
