Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala will be free from extreme poverty by November this year, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said on Wednesday, reported PTI.

Speaking at the annual conference of district collectors and heads of departments, the chief minister stressed the need for effective implementation of all government programmes to achieve the goal.

"Kerala will become a state with zero extreme poverty. We have been implementing comprehensive and scientific schemes to achieve this. These initiatives must be executed efficiently," he said.

He instructed officials to ensure that each panchayat, block, and constituency could declare themselves as "extreme poverty-free" by November.

He also told the officials to find adequate land for constructing houses for the poor. Various campaigns of the government, including anti-drug drive and garbage-free Kerala, should be completed in a time-bound manner, he said.

State ministers, chief secretary, director general of police and heads of various departments attended the meeting.