(a) whether the criteria for determining the Poverty Line have recently been revised;
(b) if so, the details thereof; and
(c) the State-wise details of the estimated number and percentage of the rural and urban
population living below the poverty line?
MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF STATISTICS & PROGRAMME IMPLEMENTATION, MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF PLANNING, MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF COMMERCE & INDUSTRY AND
MINISTER OF STATE IN THE DEPARTMENTS OF ATOMIC ENERGY AND SPACE (SHRI S. B. MOOKHERJEE)
(a) & (b): No, Sir. The criteria for determining poverty line was originally recommended by
a `Task Force on Minimum Needs and Effective Consumption Demand` in 1979. The Task
Force defined poverty line as the per capita expenditure level at which the average per capita
per day calorie intake was 2400 kcal in rural areas and 2100 kcal in urban areas. The
monetary equivalent of these norms were calculated as monthly per capita consumption
expenditure of Rs. 49.09 in rural areas and Rs. 56.64 in urban areas for 1973-74. Then, in
1993, the `Expert Group on Estimation of Proportion and Number of Poor` recommended
disaggregation of these national poverty lines into state specific poverty lines using state
specific price indices and inter-state price differential. The full Planning Commission under
the Chairmanship of Prime Minister accepted the recommendations of the Expert Group
with minor modifications in March, 1997. Since then the estimates of poverty at national and
state level are being made using the Expert Group methodology.
(c): The Planning Commission estimates poverty at national and state level from the large
sample surveys on household consumer expenditure conducted by the National Sample
Survey Organisation (NSSO) at an interval of approximately five year. The latest such
survey was conducted in 1999-2000 (NSS 55th round). The number and percentage of
population living below poverty line, separately for rural and urban areas, for the year 1999-
2000 are given in Annexure – I.
ANNEXURE - I
Number and Percentage of Population Living Below Poverty Line by States - 1999-2000
Rural Urban Combined
No. of % of No. of % of No. of % of No. States/U.T.`s Persons Persons Persons Persons Persons Persons (Lakhs) (Lakhs) (Lakhs)
1. Andhra Pradesh 58.13 11.05 60.88 26.63 119.01 15.77
2. Arunachal Pr. 3.80 40.04 0.18 7.47 3.98 33.47
3. Assam 92.17 40.04 2.38 7.47 94.55 36.09
4. Bihar 376.51 44.30 49.13 32.91 425.64 42.60
5. Goa 0.11 1.35 0.59 7.52 0.70 4.40 6. Gujarat 39.80 13.17 28.09 15.59 67.89 14.07
7 Haryana 11.94 8.27 5.39 9.99 17.34 8.74
8. Himachal Pr. 4.84 7.94 0.29 4.63 5.12 7.63
9. Jammu & Kashmir 2.97 3.97 0.49 1.98 3.46 3.48 10. Karnataka 59.91 17.38 44.49 25.25 104.40 20.04 11. Kerala 20.97 9.38 20.07 20.27 41.04 12.72 12. Madhya Pradesh 217.32 37.06 81.22 38.44 298.54 37.43 13. Maharashtra 125.12 23.72 102.87 26.81 227.99 25.02 14. Manipur 6.53 40.04 0.66 7.47 7.19 28.54 15. Meghalaya 7.89 40.04 0.34 7.47 8.23 33.87 16. Mizoram 1.40 40.04 0.45 7.47 1.85 19.47 17. Nagaland 5.21 40.04 0.28 7.47 5.49 32.67 18. Orissa 143.69 48.01 25.40 42.83 169.09 47.15 19. Punjab 10.20 6.35 4.29 5.75 14.49 6.16 20. Rajasthan 55.06 13.74 26.78 19.85 81.83 15.28 21. Sikkim 2.00 40.04 0.04 7.47 2.05 36.55 22. Tamil Nadu 80.51 20.55 49.97 22.11 130.48 21.12 23. Tripura 12.53 40.04 0.49 7.47 13.02 34.44 24. Uttar Pradesh 412.01 31.22 117.88 30.89 529.89 31.15 25. West Bengal 180.11 31.85 33.38 14.86 213.49 27.02 26. A & N Island 0.58 20.55 0.24 22.11 0.82 20.99 27. Chandigarh 0.06 5.75 0.45 5.75 0.51 5.75 28. Dadra & Nagar Haveli 0.30 17.57 0.03 13.52 0.33 17.14 29. Daman & Diu 0.01 1.35 0.05 7.52 0.06 4.44 30. Delhi 0.07 0.40 11.42 9.42 11.49 8.23 31. Lakshadweep 0.03 9.38 0.08 20.27 0.11 15.60 32. Pondicherry 0.64 20.55 1.77 22.11 2.41 21.67
All India 1932.43 27.09 670.07 23.62 2602.50 26.10
Notes:-
1. Poverty Ratio of Assam is used for Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh,Meghalaya, Mizoram,Manipur,Nagaland and Tripura.
2. Poverty Line of Maharashtra and expenditure distribution of Goa is used to estimate poverty ratio of Goa.
3. Poverty Line of Himachal Pradesh and expenditure distribution of Jammu & Kashmir is used to estimate poverty ratio of Jammu & Kashmir.
4. Poverty Ratio of Tamil Nadu is used for Pondicherry and A & N Island.
5. Urban Poverty Ratio of Punjab used for both rural and urban poverty of Chandigarh. 6. Poverty Line of Maharashtra and expenditure distribution of Dadra & Nagar Haveli is used to estimate poverty ratio of Dadra & Nagar Haveli.
7 Poverty Ratio of Goa is used for Daman & Diu.
8. Poverty Ratio of Kerala is used for Lakshadweep.
9. Urban Poverty Ratio of Rajasthan may be treated as tentative.