Thiruvananthapuram (PTI): The LDF government has completed the construction of five lakh houses under the LIFE Mission, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said on Monday, calling it a major step towards making Kerala free of homelessness.

In a Facebook post, Vijayan said the housing scheme was launched in 2016 with the aim of providing secure homes to the homeless across the state.

"Under the LIFE Mission launched by the LDF government in 2016, with the aim of making Kerala free of homelessness, the construction of five lakh houses has been completed," he said.

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The Chief Minister said the state-level announcement marking the achievement will be held in Thiruvananthapuram on February 24.

He added that around Rs 20,831.60 crore has been spent on the project up to February 2026.

Highlighting the scale of the programme, Vijayan said the scheme provides financial assistance of Rs 4 lakh to ordinary families and Rs 6 lakh to Scheduled Tribe families for house construction.

"The LIFE Mission has emerged as a model for the country in terms of efficiency and inclusiveness," the CM said, describing it as a key part of the LDF government's development agenda.

Calling for collective effort to build a better society, Vijayan said, "Let us move forward together to build a New Kerala where everyone can live with happiness and dignity."

The LIFE Mission is one of the flagship welfare programmes of the LDF government and is seen as a major intervention in Kerala's housing sector.

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Kollam (Kerala) (PTI): A Kerala court has sentenced a 20-year-old man to 21 years of imprisonment for raping a minor girl after befriending her on a social media app.

Karunagappally Fast Track Special Court judge Rajeevan Vachal sentenced the convict to 21 years under the relevant provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, special public prosecutor (SPP) N C Premchandran said.

The court also imposed a fine of Rs 1.1 lakh on the convict, the prosecutor said.

The incident occurred in 2024 when the accused befriended her on a social media app and then offered to take her to the Azheekal beach here.

However, instead of taking her to the beach, he took her to an isolated place behind the CHC hospital at Mynagappally here and raped her, the SPP said.

Following the incident, the girl attempted suicide, but was saved and then told the doctors what had happened, the prosecutor said.

The hospital authorities informed the police, who registered a case and launched an investigation.

The prosecutor said that seven witnesses were examined and 20 documents were submitted before the court to substantiate the guilt of the accused.