Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan greets a child at an LDF campaign event in Kozhikode on December 7, 2025. | Photo credit: K. Ragesh
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said that the Left Democratic Front (LDF) was able to initiate major development works in the state as it remained in power for two terms.
Campaigning for the upcoming local polls in Kozhikode Corporation at the beach on Sunday (December 7, 2025) evening, he said such initiatives include eradication of extreme poverty, widening of the state highway and installation of Gas Authority of India Limted pipeline, among others.
Mr. Vijayan said the government had revived the Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board (KIIFB) to raise money through extra-budgetary borrowing as the state exchequer was stretched to its limits. While the infrastructure development works started during the last decade using exchequer funds were worth around ₹ 40,000 crore, those implemented from KIIFB funds were worth around ₹ 90,000 crore.
Describing the state’s declaration of freedom from extreme poverty as a major milestone, he said it was made possible by a series of steps, including the gradual increase in social security benefits for people from poor families and the strengthening of the public food distribution system. Micro-plans were then initiated to improve the living conditions of each beneficiary found to be suffering from extreme poverty, Mr. Vijayan said.
The Chief Minister also hit out at the United Democratic Front (UDF) for ignoring these issues. He claimed that when the UDF government commissioned the office in 2016, the social security pension was payable for 18 months. It also made no attempt to widen the national highways, leading the National Highways Authority of India to discontinue its operations there.
“I came here from Thrissur. The journey to Kozhikode was not more than two hours. Once the ongoing work across the state is completed, the travel time between different places will be reduced considerably,” said Mr. Vijayan. The Chief Minister also released the LDF manifesto for the Kozhikode Corporation. PA Ministers Mohamed Riyas and AK Saseendran and CPI(M) District Secretary M. Mehboob were present among others.
Published – 07 Dec 2025 21:00 IST
