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The Rangarajan Committee, which has suggested a new benchmark for describing poverty, came under attack from political parties, which said it amounted to "mocking at the poor" and makes neither "common sense" nor "economic sense".
However, C Rangarajan defended his panel's report. The Bharatiya Janata Party said it will deal with the matter at an appropriate forum of the government. "We think that the BPL criteria figures are misleading and we will take up the issue with an appropriate forum of the government," Union Minister Uma Bharti said.
"As far the new definition of poverty given by the Rangarajan Committee is concerned it is appalling," said CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury on the recommendations that a person spending above Rs 47 a day in cities and Rs 32 in rural areas should not be considered poor. Rangarajan, however, said, "I don't think that it is conservative (poverty) estimates. In my view it is reasonable estimates. We have derived poverty estimates independently."
