New Delhi: If you earn over Rs. 32 a day in urban India and over Rs. 25 a day in rural India, benefits for those living Below the Poverty Line (BPL) will no longer come to you.
The Planning Commission has revised its BPL figures but has come in for sharp criticism from activists who say given today's prices, these kinds of limitations and yardsticks are totally inadequate.
"One year ago, the Planning Commission said the poverty line is at Rs. 17 a day - based on the Tendulkar Committee report. But today, after counting for inflation, the Planning Commission has filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court saying the poverty line is fixed at Rs. 31 expenditure, per day, per person. This means that if you spend Rs. 32 per day, you are no longer poor. You will not get a BPL card," said Colin Gonsalves, senior advocate, People's Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL).
Slamming the government, the BJP has called the move anti-poor.
"The government does not want to provide food security. They are shying away from their responsibility. The NAC has only announced need for food security, but in reality the government is not interested in offering food security to the poor. That is why the government has come up with such an affidavit, wherein poverty won't be removed, but the poor will be removed from the list. We vehemently oppose this move, we challenge the government that they should come forward and discuss the niceties and various points regarding the affidavit," BJP leader Prakash Javadekar said.
The Congress is, meanwhile, trying to play down the report.
"These are not final figures, so it is not right to make casual remarks. There can be genuine bona fide differences in opinion, but they should put their views before the Planning Commission. There is no question of treating any input lightly," Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi said.
The Planning Commission has revised its BPL figures but has come in for sharp criticism from activists who say given today's prices, these kinds of limitations and yardsticks are totally inadequate.
"One year ago, the Planning Commission said the poverty line is at Rs. 17 a day - based on the Tendulkar Committee report. But today, after counting for inflation, the Planning Commission has filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court saying the poverty line is fixed at Rs. 31 expenditure, per day, per person. This means that if you spend Rs. 32 per day, you are no longer poor. You will not get a BPL card," said Colin Gonsalves, senior advocate, People's Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL).
Slamming the government, the BJP has called the move anti-poor.
"The government does not want to provide food security. They are shying away from their responsibility. The NAC has only announced need for food security, but in reality the government is not interested in offering food security to the poor. That is why the government has come up with such an affidavit, wherein poverty won't be removed, but the poor will be removed from the list. We vehemently oppose this move, we challenge the government that they should come forward and discuss the niceties and various points regarding the affidavit," BJP leader Prakash Javadekar said.
The Congress is, meanwhile, trying to play down the report.
"These are not final figures, so it is not right to make casual remarks. There can be genuine bona fide differences in opinion, but they should put their views before the Planning Commission. There is no question of treating any input lightly," Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi said.
No comments:
Post a Comment