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LATEST NEWS UPDATES | House vents poverty fury, seeks Montek’s head

House vents poverty fury, seeks Montek’s head

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published Published on Mar 22, 2012   modified Modified on Mar 22, 2012
-The Telegraph

The Lok Sabha erupted today over the latest poverty estimates, with calls from the Opposition to disband the Planning Commission and sack its deputy chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia.

“Montek does not know this country and the poor. He is far removed from the ground realities. He should be removed. Close down this Planning Commission. It is of no use,” Sharad Yadav of the Janata Dal (United) said.

His outrage was at the panel’s move to peg the poverty line at Rs 28.65 in urban areas and Rs 22.43 in villages.

Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav, whose party came to the rescue of the government during voting in Parliament over the NCTC proposal yesterday, joined Sharad. “Sixty five per cent of the people in the country are genuinely poor. Those sitting in the Planning Commission are betraying the people. The government should remove Ahluwalia and reject its poverty estimates.”

Sharad went to the extent of suggesting it was better that the government kill the poor instead of springing the crude joke of reducing the numbers. “Shoot the poor…give them poison…if you want to reduce poverty like this.”

Leader of Opposition, the BJP’s Sushma Swaraj, said the government, not the plan panel, should be held responsible.

“Why blame the Planning Commission? This government has accepted its report and so it is responsible. Ahluwalia is deputy chairman while the Prime Minister is the chairman. The PM should be held responsible,” Sushma said and demanded a statement from Manmohan Singh.

No senior minister was present when the issue was being raised, but Sonia Gandhi was. Sushma looked towards the Congress chief and said: “Soniaji is very powerful. If she tells, the government will reject the poverty estimates”.

Even UPA ally DMK opposed the figures.

Tempers frayed further when the Congress’s V. Arun Kumar charged the Opposition members with misleading the House and said the figures were per capita and not for the whole family.

The plan panel has said it has not brought down the poverty line. It has explained that the poverty line figures are based on actual consumption data from surveys in 2009-10. An earlier figure of Rs 32 a day was a forecast based on consumption patterns in 2004-05, it said.

Trinamul member Kalyan Banerjee was seen raising his hand for a chance to speak, prompted perhaps by the need to prevent arch-rival Left from dominating the poverty debate.

“No prudent person can arrive at these figures. The government should call a meeting of chief ministers and consult them,” Kalyan said. The comments were seen as a bid to please his boss and Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee, who has repeatedly said states should be consulted on key matters.

The Lok Sabha had to be adjourned till noon as the members demanded suspension of Question Hour to discuss the issue.

The Telegraph, 22 March, 2012, http://www.telegraphindia.com/1120322/jsp/nation/story_15281151.jsp#.T2rwaIGbCkw


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