CPM slams UDF government’s move to scrap ‘Life Mission’ housing scheme, warns of mass protests

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Communist Party of India (Marxist) has strongly condemned the UDF government's decision to disband the flagship ‘Life Mission’ housing project, terming the move by the Local Self-Government Minister an outright "challenge to the public." In a press statement issued on Friday, the CPM State Secretariat warned of a massive statewide agitation if the government fails to backtrack from what it called a "politically motivated and anti-people" decision. The party argued that scrapping the mission would shatter the dreams of hundreds of thousands of underprivileged families awaiting affordable housing. Highlighting the project's achievements, the CPM noted that Life Mission has served as a model initiative, successfully delivering over 500,000 homes across Kerala. Currently, more than 100,000 houses are in various stages of construction, while over 200,000 eligible land-owning families—alongside numerous landless applicants—remain on the priority list for the next phase.

"A secure home is a fundamental right. It was the political willpower of the previous Left government that enabled over two million people to live with dignity in their own homes," the statement read. The CPM also accused the Congress-led UDF of aligning with the BJP-led Central Government’s earlier attempts to sabotage the project. The party recalled how Kerala had successfully resisted pressure from the Centre to implement mandatory branding on houses built under the scheme.

Defending the transparency of the initiative, the CPM emphasised that the selection process was a hallmark of decentralised planning. Beneficiaries and priority lists were finalised through democratic discussions in Grama Sabhas and Panchayats, prioritising the most vulnerable sections. The party added that all land-owning applicants from the 2017 registry have already been accommodated, and allocations for the second-phase list are currently underway.

According to official data cited by the party, out of the 604,046 houses sanctioned under the mission until early March, 500,364 have been completed, leaving 103,682 under construction. The CPM further highlighted that Kerala offers the highest financial assistance for government housing in India—providing ₹6 lakh for beneficiaries in Scheduled Tribe settlements and ₹4 lakh for the general category.

The opposition party concluded that the government’s broader plan to dissolve other developmental missions alongside Life Mission constitutes a major setback to the state's progress.