MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) FOR MINISTRY OF PLANNING
AND MINISTER OF STATE FOR DEFENCE
(RAO INDERJIT SINGH)
(a) & (b): As per the latest estimates of erstwhile Planning Commission about 26.9 crore persons are living below poverty line in the country in 2011-12. The State/UT-wise poverty ratios for 2011-12 are given at Annexure-I. The erstwhile Planning Commission estimated poverty from the Large Sample Surveys on Household Consumer Expenditure carried out by the National Sample Survey Office (NSSO) of the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation. These surveys are normally conducted on quinquennial basis. The latest data of Large Sample Survey on Household Consumer Expenditure has been collected by NSSO in its 68th round conducted in 2011-12. As such the estimates of poverty are not available for the last three years.
The erstwhile Planning Commission estimated the extent of poverty using a poverty line defined in terms of the Monthly Per Capita Consumption Expenditure (MPCE).The methodology for estimation of poverty followed by the erstwhile Planning Commission had been based on the recommendations made by the experts in the field from time to time. The erstwhile Planning Commission constituted an Expert Group under the chairmanship of Prof. Suresh D. Tendulkar in 2005 to review the methodology for estimation of poverty. The Tendulkar Committee recommended MPCE of Rs. 447 for rural areas and Rs 579 for urban areas as the poverty line for the year 2004-05, which was accepted by the erstwhile Planning commission. Since January 2011, the erstwhile Planning Commission had been using Tendulkar Committee methodology to estimate the poverty line and the poverty ratio at national and state level. For the year 2011-12, the erstwhile Planning Commission, using the poverty line recommended by the Tendulkar Committee for 2004-05 and updating it to 2011-12 had estimated the poverty lines as monthly per capita consumption expenditure (MPCE) of Rs. 816 in rural areas and Rs. 1000 in urban areas.
(c): Based on the two latest estimates of poverty for the years 2004-05 and 2011-12, the number of persons living below the poverty line in the country has declined from 40.7 crore in 2004-05 to 26.9 crore in 2011-12. The state-wise details on the number of persons living below poverty line in 2004-05 and 2011-12 are given in Annexure II.
(d): In the first meeting of the Governing Council of NITI Aayog held under the Chairmanship of Hon’ble Prime Minister on 8th February, 2015 it was decided to constitute in each State two Task Forces: on Agriculture Development and on Poverty Elimination. It was also decided that NITI Aayog will constitute Task Forces on the same subjects for coordinating the activities of Task Forces constituted in States. Accordingly, a Task Force on Elimination of Poverty in India was constituted by NITI Aayog vide Order no. O-11013/O/2015-NI dated 16th March, 2015 under the Chairmanship of Dr. Arvind Panagariya, Vice Chairman, NITI Aayog. The tenure of NITI Aayog’s Task Force is up to 31st August 2015 with the following Terms of Reference:
i. To coordinate and develop synergy with the Central Ministries and State Governments Task Forces.
ii. To develop working definition of poverty.
iii. To prepare a roadmap for elimination of poverty.
iv. To suggest strategies and anti-poverty programmes including reform of the existing ones.
v. To identify successful anti-poverty programmes from which all states and UTs can learn,
vi. Any other relevant measures.
(e): The Government has initiated various measures to improve the quality of life of the people and to reduce poverty in the country through direct intervention by implementing specific poverty reduction and mitigation programmes. These include Prime Minister’s Jan-DhanYojana (PMJDY), Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS), National Rural Livelihoods Mission (NRLM), National Urban Livelihoods Mission (NULM), Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation Mission (AMRUT), Housing for All, National Health Mission (NHM), Sarva Sikhsha Abhiyaan (SSA), Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS), Mid-Day Meal Scheme (MDMS), Swachh Bharat Mission, National Social Assistance Programme (NSAP), Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS)/ National Food Security Act (NFSA), road connectivity through the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY), Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti BimaYojana, the Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana, Atal Pension Yojana, etc. There are many other initiatives which are directly taken by the State Governments keeping in view the State and district-specific requirements. The emphasis of the Government is on “Sabka Saath, SabkaVikas” which symbolizes inclusive development.
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