Daily Notes dated 27-5-2011
Poverty Line as defined by the Planning Commission of India and the safety net proposed by the National Food Security Act
In the proceedings before the Supreme Court in a case of PIL(Public Interest Litigation) the Planning Commission of India submitted its definition of poverty line. According to it, the individual whose daily expenditure on essential requirements is Rs 20/- in urban areas and Rs 15/- in rural areas has to be considered as above poverty line. The person living in urban area incurring monthly expenditure of Rs 578/- on essential requirements has to be considered above poverty line. This amount of Rs 578/- includes Rs 31/- on rent and conveyance, Rs 18/- on education, Rs 25/- on medicines and Rs 36.50 on vegetables. The Cabinet reduced this further and said those incurring Rs 447/- per month are to be considered as above poverty line.
With these criteria the Planning Commission estimated that 33 percent of the population is below poverty line(those in poverty). But the National Advisory Committee headed by Smt Sonia Gandhi estimated the below poverty line population as 46 percent. But it is to be noted that the Arjun Sengupta Committee appointed by the Central Government previously estimated that 77 percent of the population are incurring less than Rs 20/- only on essential requirements and hence all of them are to be considered as below poverty line(BPL).
All this exercise for defining poverty line and for estimating the population below poverty line(BPL population) is aimed to restrict the safety net for right to food in the proposed National Food Security Act, to this BPL population. This is a futile, anti people exercise. It is necessary to provide food security to all sections of the population, whether BPL(Below Poverty Line) or APL(Above Poverty Line) by strengthening the PDS(Public Distribution System) and by providing 35 kilos food grains per family per month at the rate of Rs 2/- per kilo. According to the estimation of the NAC headed by Smt Sonia Gandhi, Rs 88000 crore is required to provide food security thus to the entire population. This is not a big amount. The concession in taxes given to the Corporates in this year’s budget is about Rs 80,000 crore. The amount looted in 2G spectrum scam is Rs 1,76,000 crores. Therefore in case the scams are not there and the unnecessary concessions are not given to rich people are stopped, enough money will be available with the Government to implement universal food security. But since the Government is in favour of allowing the rich people to loot the country, it is trying to restrict the food security by minimising the number of BPL population by imposing a ridiculous poverty line as detailed above.
All the progressive sections of the people should oppose these policies and demand for universal food security.(Source-Prajasakti, Telugu Daily dated 27-5-2011)
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