High rate of suicide in Kerala, a cause for concern: Chief minister

Kerala chief minister VS Achuthanandan has said that though the state had made good progress in human resources development, its high rate of suicide was a major concern.

The suicide rate in Kerala—at about 33 per one lakh—was two times more than the national average, he said addressing a workshop on Human Resources Developement organised jointly by UNDP and Planning Commission and State Planning Board yesterday.

A comprehensive study on the transformation that takes place in families and social set up due to changes in socio-economi front was necessary, Achuthanandan said.

Many more things had to be achieved in human resources, he said adding economic progress alone would not lead to human resource development.

Equal distribution of the resources was very important as production and the significant achievement of Kerala was that it was able to reduce the inequality among its population, Achuthanandan said.

State Planning Board chairman Prabhat Patnaik presided over the workshop. Achuthanandan also released the Human Resources Development Report of Waynad and Kottayam districts prepared by the Centre for development studies here.