Poverty levels far from basic minimum targets: ActionAid

Even as the latest National Sample Survey Organisation (NSSO) data shows reduction in India's poverty levels, a leading non-government organisation Wednesday said the country is still very far from the basic minimum targets, given the numbers and extent of poverty.

The latest NSSO data, accessed by a newspaper, showed a decline in poverty level from 37 percent in 2004-05 to 22 percent in 2011-12 for the whole country and the poor states recorded the steepest drop.

"While the NSSO data shows a drop in levels of poverty in the poorest Indian states, based on the criteria given by the Planning Commission, we must be wary of applauding the news considering that we are still very far from even the basic minimum targets when looking at numbers and extent of poverty, and not to mention the huge economic disparity in India," said Sandeep Chachra, executive director, ActionAid India.

The Planning Commission is expected to share the data in the next few days on the basis of which state governments will start the process of identifying the beneficiaries of the Centre's new food security programme.

"ActionAid India hopes that the definition of poverty would be made comprehensive enough to take into account the problems of control over resources, access and inclusion as well.

"We also believe that the nutritional needs of the people have been given the less attention than the caloric value and that one would need to also take into account issues such as hygiene and health which too contribute to the absorption of nutrition."

The country still has 26.89 crore poor people. According to the NSSO data, the total number of people below poverty line in the country is 26.89 crore compared to 40.73 crore in 2004-05.