Question : POOR POPULATION

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF PLANNING, PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS, PERSONNEL PUBLIC GRIEVANCES & PENSION(SHRI V. NARAYANASAMY)

(a) to (c): The number of persons living below poverty line in the States of Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Orissa and Uttrakhand, based on the official estimates of Planning Commission for the year 2004-05, are as under:

Name of	Number of Persons Below
State	Poverty Line ( in Lakhs)
Bihar	369.15
Uttar Pradesh	590.03
Chhattisgarh	90.96
Jharkhand	116.39
Madhya Pradesh	249.68
Maharastra	317.38
Orissa	178.49
Uttarakhand	35.96

India is required to reduce Poverty Headcount Ratio (PHR) by half from 37.2% in 1990 to 18.6% by 2015 under Millennium Development Goal (MDG) target. By the year 2004-05, the PHR has come down to 27.5% registering an annual rate of decline of 0.8% during 1990-2005. This rate of decline has shown a sign of improvement during 2005-06 over the previous year which is estimated to be 1.4%. If this improved rate persists, India will be able to achieve the 2015 target by 2012-13.

To achieve the Millennium Development Goals the Central Government is implementing a number of flagship programmes such as Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS), Swaranjayanti Gram Swarozgar Yojana (SGSY), Swarna Jayanti Shahri Rozgar Yojana (SJSRY), Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS), Mid-Day Meal Scheme, Sarva Shiksha Abhiyaan (SSA), National Rural Health Mission (NRHM), Rural Drinking Water Supply .and Total Sanitation Campaign, Indira Awaas Yojana (IAY), Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS) etc. In addition, launching of Rashtriya Swasthaya Bima Yojana, Aam Aadmi Bima Yojana and Indira Gandhi National Old Age Pension Scheme (IGNOAPS) are the initiatives to strengthen the social security system.