Nearly 17 lakh people in Delhi were below poverty line in 2011-12: Economic Survey

The poverty line in the national capital reduced to 16.96 lakh in 2011-12 from 23.3 lakh people living Below Poverty Line (BPL) in 2009-10, according to the Economic Survey released in the Delhi Assembly today.

Poverty had increased to 14.2 per cent in 2009-10 in comparison to 13 per cent in 2004-05, but it fell to 9.91 per cent of total population in 2011-12, a significant decrease, it said.

The reduction of poverty level in Delhi and at national level may be due to various reasons such as higher growth in the service sector, the report stated.

The per capita monthly expenditure by an urban Delhi'ite on food (1489.02) and non-food items (2352.52) in Delhi was Rs 3841.54, according to the survey.

The per capita expenditure on food items constituted at 39.22 per cent and the remaining 60.78 per cent on non-food items as per 68th round of National Sample Survey.

Notably, the Delhi Economic Survey which was tabled by Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia in 2015 had also stated the same information.