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LATEST NEWS UPDATES | Reading between the Rs32 poverty line

Reading between the Rs32 poverty line

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published Published on Oct 4, 2011   modified Modified on Oct 4, 2011

-The Hindustan Times

 

Do these people look well-off to you? The planning commission puts them above poverty line.



Basant Kumar, 51 


Shopkeeper 


Kusumpur Pahari slum, 


Vasant Vihar, Delhi

Daily expense: Rs 53


 


Basant Kumar runs a little shop in a slum in Vasant Vihar, home to over two lakh migrant families. He feeds and clothes his wife and three children on his meagre earnings of Rs5,000 a month. He also works odd-jobs, in construction or with halwais, to supplement his income by a few hundred rupees. But the extra money is barely enough forhim to make ends meet. The family of five lives in a tiny home, sleeping in a room barely ten feet by ten feet. Kumar can only purchase 


second-hand clothes once a year. He  borrows electricity from his neighbour, for a single bulb outside his shop. He cannot afford to eat fruit. He has no mobile phone, no scooter or cycle.

When he applied for a ration card, he was given a white APL (Above Poverty Line)card which excludes him from receiving any subsidised rations. “I have to buy it black and eat from black,” he says, as he is compelled each month to buy goods at lower prices from the black market. His helplessness may be compounded. Kumar spends around Rs 53 daily. Going by the Planning Commission’s notion, Kumar is one of thousands of slum-dwellers above the poverty line.

Break up of expenses

Rs 19 on flour, rice and vegetables


Rs 20 on milk, spices


R 8 on edible oil and pulses 


Rs 6 on cooking fuel


 


—Samar Khurshid

Lakshmi Vishkarma   


Garland vendor


Kala Ghoda, Mumbai

Daily expense: Rs 32

LakshmiVishkarma does not know her exact age and has no birth certificate, butguesses she is about 30 years old. Currently pregnant with her fourth child — her other three are aged five, three and one — she lives on a footpath in Kala Ghoda, south Mumbai’s elite art district. Vishkarma andher husband sell gajras (small flower garlands worn by women in their hair) for a living and earn about Rs70 per day each. Of this, Rs35 is spent on the string and flowers for their gajras, for which they take turns walking to the Bhuleshwar market an hour away every day, so they can buy their materials at wholesale rates. Deciding how to spend the leftover Rs32 is actually very easy, says Vishkarma, laughing. 


“It all goes on food.”

The family has virtually no possessions — one large mat to sleep on, two bowls and two plates, some hand-me-down clothes and broken toys for the children. With no roof over their heads,they use a free public toilet nearby. And with no kitchen, they are forced to buy all their food from a government snack stall nearby. The Rs32 buys the family five rotis and a bowl each of rice, dal and vegetable. These are portioned out carefully so that they can be spread out over two meals. “On good days, when we have earned maybe Rs40 on theprevious day, we also buy a little tea and bread for breakfast, which costs Rs8.”

Either way, the family says they are always hungry. “Local residents and restaurant owners give us leftovers,” says Vishkarma. With absolutely no money, the children do not go to school. Vishkarma and herhusband, who were both born and raised on the pavements too, have nevertravelled beyond Bhuleshwar. 


 

Break up of expenses 

Rs 10 on mogra flowers for gajras


Rs 6 on string for gajras


Rs 5 on rotis to be shared with family


Rs 6 on a plate of dal and rice to be shared with family


Rs5 on a bowl of vegetables to be shared with family

— Riddhi Doshi


Just to provide a contrast, here's what middle class professionals spend

 

Priya Batra, 38


Head of marketing with an MNC


Noida, National Capital Region

Daily expenses: Rs 1500 approx


PriyaBatra, mother of a one-year-old son, lives with her husband in a joint family set-up in Noida. Batra works full-time, contributing to the running of her immediate family along with her husband who’s a director in an insurance firm. Batra earns approximately Rs 3,75,000 a month. Sheand her husband, earn over a crore a year. They save over 50% of the earnings after deducting basic expenses plus EMIs on two properties. Batra and her husband have a car and driver each to themselves, who are paid Rs10,000 each. Batra’s husband carries lunch from home, while she prefers to order from the office canteen for which she spends Rs50 per day.

Batra’s 5-day work week, includes  dropping her son with his full time maid (who is paid Rs4,000 per month) to her parents’ house in Nizammudin. She collects them on her way back from office at around 7 pm. Batra spends around Rs500 on fuel daily. Saturdays are mall days with husband and son, which includes shopping, watching a movie and eating out, which comes to around Rs10,000 per outing. Sundays are easier with guests dropping in at home. Once or twice in a working week Batra orders in or gets takeaways for the entire family, (Rs3,000 per takeaway) while groceries or other household expenses are taken care of by her in-laws. Batra likes splurging on watches and collecting ethnic jewellery which costs above Rs 1,00,000.    

                    


Break up of expenses

Rs 1,000 Fuel for two cars


Rs 350 Diapers, wipes and milk powder for her son


Rs 50 Lunch from office cafeteria


Rs 20-100 Parking tickets


A packed dinner from Big Chill for the entire family once a week Rs 3,000


Every Saturday mall trip Rs10,000 which includes movie, meal and shopping (toys and clothes for her son, shoes and clothes for herself)


Eating out on an average of 3-4 times a month with her husband Rs6,000-8,000


Wages for two drivers and two maids - Rs18,000 per month


TV and Wi-Fi subscriptions Rs1,000 a month


Ordering coffee from CCD in office while entertaining clients Rs700 per month


Buying a watch (such as Tag or Omega) once in six months Rs1, 50,000 each


A jewellery piece/set on occasions/festival Rs40,000-Rs2, 00,000 each

- Shalini Singh

 

Megha Sheth, 27   


HR executive


Wadala, Mumbai

Daily expenses: Rs 330

MeghaSheth, 27, an HR executive with a software company, has an MBA degree and a bachelor’s degree in computer engineering. She has been working for three years. Megha earns Rs31,250 a month and lives with her parents, grandmother, uncle, aunt and two cousins in a 1,500-sq-ft four-bedroom flat in Wadala. She has her own 200-sq-ft room. Shopping isa monthly ritual. “If not clothes, I buy some tech stuff such as a pen drive or an accessory for my phone or for my room,” she says. Each monththe shopping bill is around Rs4,000.

She spends another Rs8,000 on recreation, (she is a vegetarian Jain and does not drink). Her outings include a movie or dinner with friends at least twice a week. Her cellphone bill is around Rs600 and she buys fuel for Rs1,500 per month when she takes the family car out on weekends. Conveyance to her office in Vikhroli is another Rs1,200 per month. “I go by bus and come back by train and have to take a rickshaw from the railway station,” she says. Sheth spends about Rs500 a month onsnacks. She does not contribute towards household expenses, so despite her expenses she still saves around  Rs12,000 every month, which she invests in fixed deposit schemes and mutual funds.

Break up of expenses

Rs40 travelling to office by bus, train and rickshaw


Rs50 petrol expenses everyday


Rs20 mobile bill


Rs15-20 snacks


Rs100-200 shopping


Rs2000 – movies and dinner every week


Rs5000 - Holiday once in two months


— Riddhi Doshi

The Hindustan Times, 1 October, 2011, http://www.hindustantimes.com/News-Feed/newdelhi/Reading-between-the-Rs32-poverty-line/Article1-752539.aspx

Tagged with: Poverty bpl



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