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LATEST NEWS UPDATES | Row over poverty line by Sanjay K Jha and Basant Kumar Mohanty

Row over poverty line by Sanjay K Jha and Basant Kumar Mohanty

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published Published on Sep 21, 2011   modified Modified on Sep 21, 2011

The Planning Commission’s new definition of poverty widely criticised as being unrealistic has caused disquiet in the UPA, with Congress leaders privately dubbing the benchmarks insensitive and ally NCP publicly slamming them as an “insult to the poor”.

Congress leaders believe the figures, under which anyone spending more than Rs 32 a day in urban areas and Rs 26 in villages will not be considered poor and hence will not be eligible for several welfare schemes, suggested lack of sincerity in assessing the true plight of the indigent. Many in the party were angry and said the Planning Commission could have avoided cracking such a “cruel joke” in the season of scams.

The Congress chose not to express its unease publicly, even though the plan panel defended its new norms in the Supreme Court yesterday. Spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi said: “These matters are decided on the basis of empirical data and should be left to the experts.”

Ally NCP didn’t agree. “Don’t insult the poor if you can’t mitigate their plight. This (new definition) is insensitive to say the least. Any sensible person will feel angry,” spokesperson D.P. Tripathi said, claiming no “political consultations” were held before arriving at the figures.

Tripathi was quick to cite a line by writer Shrilal Shukla, chosen for the prestigious Jnanpith award only yesterday, to take a swipe at the plan panel. “This (the poverty definition) reminds me one famous line in Shrilal Shukla’s celebrated novel Ragdarbari — planning ke teen kam/meeting, lunch aur aaram (planning has three ingredients/meeting, lunch and rest).”

Asked about the NCP’s criticism, Congress spokesperson Singhvi sought to play down the apparent differences of opinion. “Making casual remarks will not help. There can be genuine differences but the Planning Commission is the right forum to analyse the inputs,” he said.

The Tendulkar Committee report, which is the basis of the Planning Commission’s new definition, has pegged the BPL numbers at 37.2 per cent — 26 per cent in urban areas and 42 per cent in villages. The committee considered factors like a person’s expenditure on food, education and health.

Based on such expenses at 2011 price levels, those spending Rs 781 per month in rural areas and Rs 965 in urban areas will be deemed poor, the plan panel has told the apex court. At 2004-05 prices, which the Tendulkar committee used, the corresponding monthly figures will be Rs 447 in rural and Rs 578.

Experts have panned the figures. Aruna Roy, a member of the Sonia Gandhi-headed National Advisory Council (NAC), said the plan panel’s move to defend its new definition reflected the government’s lack of empathy for the poor. “This is aimed only at artificially reducing the number of persons below the poverty line to reduce government expenditure on the poor,” Roy, one of those who conceived rural job scheme, said yesterday.

Former NAC member Jean Dreze said the health expenditure estimated by the Tendulkar panel was “barely enough to buy an aspirin”.

Food rights activist Colin Gonsalves described the definition as “shocking”. The per capita expenditure of Rs 32 per day in cities won’t be sufficient even for food. “A person cannot feed himself properly with this money. Where from he will spend on clothing, health and other things?” he asked.


The Telegraph, 22 September, 2011, http://www.telegraphindia.com/1110922/jsp/nation/story_14538665.jsp


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