Inclusive development helps Sikkim record steepest poverty line fall

Sikkim has done wonders in terms of reducing the number of people below the poverty line.

According to data provided by the Planning Commission on Sikkim, the state has recorded the steepest fall in poverty level in the country from 2004-05 to 2011-12.

Increase in per capita consumption is being cited as one of the factors responsible for a reduction in the number of people living below the poverty line.

The proportion of people below the poverty line (BPL) came down from 30.9 percent in 2004-05 to 8.19 percent in 2011-12, a decline of 22 percentage points due to inclusive and equitable development of the entire state.

The population of the persons below poverty line in the Sikkim has come down from 1.70,000 lakh persons in the year 2004-05 to 51,000 persons in 2011-12.

A sizeable population of 1,19,000 persons living below poverty line have been lifted out of poverty during last seven years due to various developmental programmes.

About 23000 households have been brought above poverty line in the same period.

The state has been ranked among the five best performing states in poverty reduction in the country according to latest report of the planning commission.

Sikkim is ranked fourth out of six states with the least proportion of poor living below poverty line.

Only Goa (5.09 percent), Kerala (7.05 percent) and Himachal Pradesh (8.06 percent) have a better record.

In 1994, the poverty ratio in the state was 41 percent. It came down to 30.9 percent in 2004-2005 and 8.19 per cent in the year 2011-12

At the all-India level, the share of the BPL population was estimated at 21.9 percent, which means that roughly every fifth Indian lives below the poverty line, while in Sikkim, the share of BPL population, every 12th person is living below the poverty line.

The average monthly per capital expenditure in rural and urban areas of Sikkim has been estimated at Rs 1445.06 and Rs 2528.11 in comparison to national average monthly per capital expenditure of Rs 1287.17 and Rs 2477.02 in rural and urban areas respectively.

In the North East, Sikkim is ranked as top most state in poverty reduction.