Extreme Poverty Eradication Project: Palakkad’s Progress in 2025
Palakkad district is making a significant contribution to Kerala’s ambitious Extreme Poverty Eradication Project (EPEP),which aims to make the state India’s first to fully eliminate extreme poverty by November 2025. Launched in 2023, the initiative is already delivering visible outcomes across the district. Initiated in 2023, the EPEP began with an extensive survey that identified more than 64,000 families living in extreme poverty, based on factors such as insufficient food, healthcare, income, and stable housing. The first phase of the project, completed in November 2023, addressed urgent needs like nutrition, healthcare, essential documentation, and emergency support. Through coordinated efforts from government departments and local bodies, this phase successfully lifted almost 48% of the families out of extreme poverty.
Key Achievements
- As of April 2025, Kerala has succeeded in moving 78.74% of identified extremely poor families out of poverty, with Palakkad among the districts making significant progress. In Palakkad, as in other regions, the primary focus has been on families requiring stable income sources and secure housing.
- Through Kudumbashree’s Upajeevanam project and coordinated efforts by local self-governments, most families in need of income have received targeted assistance. This includes job opportunities, micro-enterprise support, and skill development.
- Hundreds of families in Palakkad have benefited from house construction and renovation schemes. The district is also actively involved in the ‘Manassodithiri Mannu’ campaign, identifying and allocating land for the landless, with over 8.89 acres already marked statewide and additional land identified by local revenue officials.
- The project guarantees continuous access to food, healthcare, and vital services for vulnerable families. In Palakkad, key components of the local implementation include community kitchens, distribution of food kits, and medical outreach programs.
Impact
The Extreme Poverty Eradication Project has brought about a significant transformation in Palakkad, successfully uplifting most of the families identified as extremely poor through focused efforts in livelihood assistance, housing, food security, and healthcare. Initiatives such as community kitchens, support for micro-enterprises, and the unified work of local self-governments have not only enhanced living conditions but also restored a sense of dignity and hope among the district’s most vulnerable populations.
What lies ahead?
As the project moves into its next phase, the focus in Palakkad is on ensuring sustainable income sources and permanent housing for the remaining families, with special attention to long-term social inclusion and resilience. By continuing this collaborative, community-driven approach, Palakkad is poised to achieve the ambitious goal of eradicating extreme poverty entirely by the end of 2025, setting a powerful example for the rest of the state and the nation.
