(a) the details of Poverty Estimate Standards to be considered for coverage under the targeted Public Distribution System and other welfare schemes;
(b) whether the Government has revised the Poverty Estimates of 1993-94; and
(c) if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor?
MINISTER OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD & PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION
(SHRI RAM VILAS PASWAN)
(a): Government has notified the National Food Security Act, 2013 (NFSA) on 10.09.2013, which inter alia provides for coverage of upto 75% of the rural population and upto 50% of the urban population of the country for receiving foodgrains at subsidized prices under Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS). Under NFSA, coverage under TPDS has been delinked from poverty estimates and corresponding to the above coverage at the all India level, State-wise coverage was determined by the Planning Commission (now NITI Aayog) on the basis of National Sample Survey Office (NSSO) data for 2011-12 on consumption expenditure. Under NFSA, the identification of priority households is to be done by the respective State/UT Governments as per criteria evolved by them.
Foodgrains are also allocated for nutritional support to pregnant women and lactating mothers and children upto 14 years of age, under Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS) and Mid-Day-Meal (MDM) schemes, based on requests received from the concerned Ministries. Further, foodgrains at BPL rates are allocated for welfare institutions such as beggar homes, nari niketans etc., and hostels having two thirds students belonging to SC/ST/OBC @ 15 kg. foodgrains per resident per month, on request of State Governments/UT Administrations.
(b) and (c): The methodology for estimation of poverty followed by the erstwhi!e Planning Commission had been based on the recommendations made by the experts from time to time. 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 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 submitted its report in 2009 giving estimates of poverty for 1993-94 and 2004-05 which were accepted by the erstwhile Planning Commission. The latest data of Large Sample Survey on Household Consumer Expenditure was collected by NSSO in its 68th round conducted in 2011-12. The poverty estimates for 2011-12 have been computed following the extant Tendulkar methodology. Thus, the poverty ratio in the country, based on comparable methodology (Tendulkar methodology) are available for 1993-94, 2004-05 and 2011-12 which are 45.3 per cent, 37.2 per cent and 21.9 per cent respectively.
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