Question : Poverty and Inequality

(a) the details of the national income and the per capita income of the country along with the per capita income of the poor and middle class during each of the last three years, State/UT-wise and the steps taken by the Government to curb the decline, if any, in the per capita income of the poor and middle class;

(b) whether the Government has any estimation of the country’s poor population, if so, the details thereof, State/UT-wise;

(c) whether the Government has taken any initiative to evaluate the outcome of the different poverty alleviation programmes launched during the last three years and if so, the details and the outcomes thereof, State/UT-wise and if not, the reasons therefor along with the funds allocated/released/spent on the said programmes during the said period, Programme-wise;

(d) whether the Government calculates the level of inequality in the country and if so, the details and the methodology thereof along with the overall income, wealth and consumption inequality reported during each of the last three years, State/UT-wise;

(e) whether the level of inequality in the country has increased post the 1991 economic reforms, and if so, the details thereof and the reasons therefor; and

(f) the States where the said inequality has increased during the recent year?

MINISTER OF STATISTICS AND PROGRAMME IMPLEMENTATION
(SHRI D. V. SADANANDA GOWDA)

(a): The estimates of national income (measured as net national income) and per capita income (measured as per capita net national income) of the country during the last three years are as under:

<pre>
Item (at current prices) 2013-14 2014-15 2015-16
Net National Income (Rs. crore) 9901176 10961146 12083093
Per Capita Net National Income (Rs.) 79146 86513 94178

</pre>

State/UT-wise estimates of per capita income for poor and middle class are not compiled separately.

The Government has been implementing several programmes for skill development, self-employment, wage employment and creation of assets that aim to promote inclusive growth and thereby bridge the income gaps. These include Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Urban Livelihood Mission (DAY-NULM) of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation (MHUPA) and various rural development schemes of the Department of Rural Development (DRD), namely, Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS), Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana Gramin (PMAYG), Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY), Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAYNRLM) and Deen Dayal Upadhyaya-Grameen Kaushalya Yojana (DDU-GKY).

(b): Yes, Madam. The latest available State/UT-wise details of number and percentage of population below poverty line for the year 2011-12, computed following the extant Tendulkar methodology and released by Planning Commission through a Press Note on 22nd July 2013, are given in the statement at Annexure.

(c): The MHUPA reported that mid-term evaluation of DAY-NULM scheme has not been conducted as the year 2014-15 is practically the first year of its implementation and the scheme has not reached its mid-term. Details of funds under the scheme during the last three years as reported by MHUPA are given below:

<pre>
(Figures in Rs. Lakhs)
Funds position 2014-15 2015-16 2016-17
(till 28-02-2017)
Allocated 148281.30 148863.41 102962.19
Released 67214.18 23972.33 28405.03
</pre>

The DRD reported that they conduct evaluation studies of its programmes from time to time and that no evaluation of outcome of rural development programmes launched during the last three years was done. Details of funds under the schemes during 2013-14 to 2015-16 as reported by DRD are given below:

<pre>
(Figures in Rs. Lakhs)
Scheme Funds 2013-14 2014-15 2015-16
MGNREGS Allocated Being a demad driven programme, no allocation is made.
Released 3274368.00 3247686.69 3664479.70
Utilised (including State share) 3874148.21 3603247.84 4384962.49
PMAYG Allocated 1389490.38 1409955.00 950875.00
Released 1297000.78 1109695.64 1010791.84
Utilised 1057603.63 1383553.14 1336101.79
PMGSY Allocated 1705000 1015100 1518671
Released 536024 995958 1518671
Utilised (Government of India share) 1309529 1653835 1578536
DAYNRLM Allocated 197730.94 112264.00 52905.00
Released 116609.73 66180.65 87193.18
Utilised (including State share) 133060.07 185066.48 200092.60
DDU-GKY Released 56897.04 56863.42 48730.38

</pre>

(d): Yes. Madam. Level of inequality is assessed in terms of Lorenz ratios of monthly per capita expenditure distribution using consumer expenditure data of the National Sample Survey Office (NSSO). Since the latest available report of the NSSO on consumer expenditure is in respect of its 68th round for the year 2011-12, inequality was not assessed for the last three years.

(e): The NSSO 68th round report for the year 2011-12 noted that there was an increase in inequality (in terms of Lorenz ratio) from 0.297 to 0.307 for the rural sector and from 0.373 to 0.385 for the urban sector, when compared to the data of 61st round for the year 2004-05. Reasons for increase were not surveyed.

(f): Comparison of inequality in terms of Lorenz ratios at State level between NSSO 68th round (2011-12) and 66th round (2009-10) indicates that inequality in rural sector increased in all States/ UTs except for Sikkim, Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Chattisgarh, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh and Punjab. During this period, in respect of the urban sector, inequality increased in Manipur, Mizoram, Jammu and Kashmir, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Delhi, Odisha, Chattisgarh, Arunachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Karnataka, Haryana and Kerala.