Poverty nos preliminary, BJP has no right to condemn: Shukla

As controversy over poverty figures refuses to die down, government today said the latest estimates were just a preliminary assessment by an expert group and BJP has no right to condemn as population of poor has dwindled faster during UPA regime.

Planning Minister Rajeev Shukla also made it clear that the reduction in poverty would not mean benefits to fewer people as subsidy outgo would continue to serve over 67% population of the country.

'Subsidy is no longer limited to the official poverty line and entitlement is wider,' Shukla said, adding that the latest estimates were 'not government's announcement or assessment'.

Saying government has got something to do with poverty numbers is completely wrong, he said.

According latest estimates of the Planning Commission, the poverty ratio has declined by 15.3% to 21.9% in 2011-12 from 37.2% in 2004-05 on account of increase in per capita consumption.

These estimates are based on a methodology suggested by a committee headed by renowned economist Suresh Tendulkar, which factored in spent on health and education besides calorie intake for tabulating number of poor.

Shukla said government had appointed a panel headed by Prime Minister's Economic Advisory Council's Chairman C Rangarajan to revisit the Tendulkar methodology and it is expected to submit its report by middle of the next year.

Taking BJP head on, he said during NDA regime the poverty numbers were less than 30% based on a methodology which did not factor in expenditure on health and education.

The minister said that BJP members have no right to condemn the government over the poverty estimates as UPA rule saw decline in poverty by 2.2% per year as against a mere 0.8% in NDA regime.