Mayawati shows concern over poverty line cutoff

Joining issue with Centre over the poverty line cutoff as defined by the Planning Commission, Uttar Pradesh chief minister Mayawati on Monday said it was near impossible for an individual’s sustenance within these parameters.

In her letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, she expressed concern over the poverty line cutoff in rural and urban areas standing at Rs 26 and Rs 32 respectively per day.

The ruling Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) president has demanded its upward revision and said the Centre held discussions with state governments in this regard.

Referring to media reports on the issue, she maintained that while ascertainment of the level of poverty was a challenging task, it should nevertheless present an ‘artificial picture’.

She noted that by hiding expenses on food commodities from the cutoff figure, a large portion of India’s poor would be unjustifiably and adversely affected.

Mayawati added the cutoff had a direct bearing on the poor and marginalised sections of society and they would be deprived of benefits under government schemes aimed at poverty alleviation and socioeconomic emancipation.

She suggested that the central government revisited the whole process and take steps to reduce the number of poor to half by 2015 as defined under Millennium Development Goals.