Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala) [India], May 23 (ANI): Stressing that the state is continually advancing by blending people-centric policies with forward-looking industrial strategies, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said on Friday that the state will become a poverty-free state by November 1 this year.

Speaking at a public event here to mark his government's (LDF) fourth anniversary, CM Vijayan said, 'Kerala continues to have the lowest poverty levels in the country. We've been able to achieve this through a strong and efficient public distribution system, which we've consistently strengthened over the years.'

'That's how Kerala continues to advance, by blending people-centric policies with forward-looking industrial strategies. Kerala is the state with the lowest inflation in the country. By November 1, Kerala will become a poverty-free state,' the Kerala CM emphasised.

Chief Minister Vijayan recalled that when the LDF government assumed office in 2016, one of the key concerns was transforming Kerala's investment climate.

'We engaged in detailed discussions with industrialists and stakeholders to understand their concerns and incorporated their feedback into policymaking. As a result, we amended laws, revised regulations, and introduced several structural reforms to enhance the ease of doing business in the state,' he said.

'Beyond policy changes, we also recognised the need to shift societal attitudes toward entrepreneurship. That's why we launched the 'Year of Entrepreneurship' initiative in Kerala. The Government of India itself acknowledged this initiative as a national model,' CM Vijayan said.

The Chief Minister also slammed the Centre, accusing it of denying the State its rightful entitlement in the tax devolution.

The Chief Minister said that if the tax share had been allocated fairly, Kerala would have received an additional Rs 2,282 crore in 2022-23 and Rs 2,071 crore in 2023-24, respectively.

'In the financial years 2022-23 and 2023-24, Kerala's share in the total own tax revenue generated by all Indian states was 3.7%. However, the tax devolution Kerala received from the Union government during the same period was only 1.53% and 1.13%, respectively. Based on Kerala's population share, the rightful entitlement should have been 2.7%,' he said.

'If the tax share had been allocated fairly, Kerala would have received an additional Rs2,282 crore in 2022-23 and Rs2,071 crore in 2023-24. This is not an extra demand but Kerala's rightful share,' he added. (ANI)