Tamil Nadu - Cuddalore   

Treat poverty as a human rights issue, says NGO

Photo: C. Venkatchalapathy

For a cause: An illiterate woman leaving her thumb impression on a board during a signature campaign in Cuddalore on Wednesday. —

CUDDALORE: Pondicherry Multipurpose Social Service Society, a non-governmental organisation, organised a campaign against poverty here on Wednesday.

Large number of people, including illiterate women, participated in it and fixed their thumb impressions on a banner put up near the ‘Uzhavar Santhai.’

The campaign was organised to mark the World Poverty Eradication Day.

As per the Centre’s stipulations, those who could hardly spend Rs. 11 (in rural areas) to Rs. 14 (in urban areas) on food can be categorised as living below the poverty line (BPL), volunteers of the NGO said.

According to statistics, 30 crore people in the country belonged to the BPL category. Data revealed that more number women than men were impoverished. Poverty related diseases and deaths were substantial, the volunteers said.

The NGO urged the government to treat poverty as a human rights issue and act accordingly.

Eradication of poverty should be linked to the availability of potable water and clean environment.

Quality education, including professional education, would be a powerful tool to combat poverty.

So, the focus should be on improving the standard of education and bringing children belonging to the school-going age group under the literacy programme.

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