Thiruvananthapuram : Students from families in the extreme poverty bracket would be able to make free bus commutes to and fro school on KSRTC buses. The historic decision came about at meeting chaired by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Wednesday.
Arrangements will be made so students in this category who have passed their 10th can study in Higher Secondary Schools close to their homes. Also, they would be given scholarship for higher studies, stipend and free food in college canteens during the time. Chief Minister emphasised on urgency to provide land to landless and homes for the needy. A Special Medical Board will be constituted to issued UD ID to differently-abled persons.
More decisons: Family members of students in extreme poverty should be provided with sustainable livelihoods. Mentally challenged persons should be give the special care and rehabilitation they need. Psychiatric care should be provided to mentally ill individuals roaming on streets. They should also given medical supply. Processing should be completed soon for ration cards that have to be converted to category different from their present.
Parameters: Four parameters are applied to determine extreme poverty, namely, food, health, income and shelter. There are 4736 families struggling just to be able to sate hunger. 28,663 in 13,753 families were found to have poor health condition. Then there are another 1705 households with income distress and 8671 with food and health related hardships.
Done: Entitlement documents have already been provided to all persons cleared technically as belonging to the extreme poverty list. Departments have been lent access to check details of extremely poor families and persons on the MIS portal. Essential goods and services shall be provided to these members at their doorstep. Volunteers from local organisation are being drawn to help with this effort.
Job cards have been distributed among members of extreme poverty families who find it hard to earn a living. These cards will be find priority under Employment Guarantee Scheme. Livestock and sewing machines have also be provided to help make income. Students in this categories have been provided with books, pens, umbrellas, bags, tiffin boxes, steel water bottles etc.
Aim: The aim is to make Kerala a State free of extreme poverty by Nov 1 of 2025. It was also decided to announce 2023 and 2024 as phase I and II of the effort respectively. How many families have been uplifted in each phase shall be announced separately.
In attendance at the meeting were : Ministers KN Balagopal, K Rajan, K Radhakrishnan, Saji Cherian, PA Muhammad Riaz, V Sivankutty, MB Rajesh, Veena George, R Bindu, AK Saseendran and, Anthony Raju. High ranking officials including Chief Secretary Dr.Venu V were also participants.
