Poverty line delinked from food and other entitlements given to the poor

Government to wait for results of socio-economic caste census to decide parameters on who should be covered under social welfare programmes

The Planning Commission and the Rural Development Ministry have agreed not to use the current poverty line to decide government food and other entitlements meant for poor. After almost two hours of discussion between the commission deputy chairperson Montek Singh Ahluwalia and the rural affairs minister Jairam Ramesh, it has been decided the government will wait till the ongoing Socio-economic Caste Census (SECC) results are out in by the end of 2011 to decide on the parameters for targeting development programmes.

“The present state-wise poverty estimates using the Planning Commission methodology will not be used to impose any ceiling on the number of households to be included in different government programmes and schemes,” says the joint press communique of Ahluwalia and Ramesh.

The present state-wise poverty estimates using the Planning Commission methodology will not be used to impose any ceiling on the number of households to be included in different government programmes and schemes
New methodology to be adopted to identify below poverty line households
An expert panel will be formed to ensure the new methodology is compatible with the Food Security Bill