K erala, known for its exemplary record in social and human development, and for healthcare systems comparable to those of developed nations, achieved another milestone on its 69th formation day, on November 1 — the eradication of extreme poverty . This resulted from a four-year, meticulously planned programme involving a gamut of agencies, spearheaded by the local self-government department, alongside extensive community participation. It was during the first Cabinet meeting of the second LDF government led by Pinarayi Vijayan in May 2021 that the Extreme Poverty Eradication Programme (EPEP) was launched. Successive State governments deserve credit for Kerala’s people-centric development and decentralised planning, which ensured that poverty reduced from 59.8% in 1973–74 to 11.3% in

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