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Sunday, Mar 23, 2008
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States contest Centre’s assessment of poor households

Gargi Parsai

NEW DELHI: At least 16 million Below Poverty Line (BPL) families in eight States and a Union Territory are not recognised by the Union government as eligible for the Central schemes, including subsidised food grains allocations under the Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS).

However, the Planning Commission — that has set the population of the poor at 27.5 per cent in 2004-05 — sees no justification in revising the number of poor households in the country.

Some of the major States such as Punjab, Karnataka, West Bengal, Kerala, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Orissa and the Union Territory of Daman and Diu have contested the poverty line figures set by the Planning Commission.

They have projected the number of poor as assessed by them at 42.1million as against 26.1 million by the Centre and sought higher allocation of food grains, Union Minister for Food and Consumer Affairs Sharad Pawar informed Parliament.

According to him so far 18 States and Union Territories had issued ration cards to beneficiaries within the limits accepted by the Centre. However, 17 States/UTs had issued ration cards in excess of the poverty estimates of the Planning Commission for allocation of food grains to the TPDS beneficiaries.

Bihar estimated its poor at 121 lakh families (against the 65.23 lakh recognised by the Centre); Punjab 14 lakh households (4.68 lakh); Karnataka 63 lakh (31.29 lakh); Madhya Pradesh 60 lakh (41.25 lakh) and Orissa 57.50 lakh (32.98 lakh).

The Planning Commission maintained that there was “no justification” to revise the Centre’s support to BPL families in these States as re-setting the number of BPL households for the TPDS should involve not only the growth in population but also the change in the incidence of poverty.

According to the poverty estimates released by the Planning Commission in March 2007, the percentage of BPL population has come down from 36 per cent in 1993-94 to 27.5 per cent in 2004-05.

However, the Department of Food continues to make TPDS food grains allocations based on the 1993-04 poverty estimates and population estimates put out by the Registrar General of India in March, 2000.

Although the number of BPL households in 2000 was estimated at 652.03 lakh, the total number of ration cards issued was 1027.32 lakh.

These included 242.76 lakh cards to the Antodaya Anna Yojna beneficiaries.

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