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Redrawing The Poverty Line


            And this century's funniest joke is made by, any guesses, Planning Commission, India. As you know even if we are a fast developing economy, more than half population is below poverty line (BPL). And guess what, Planning Commission had come up with a fantastic way to get around poverty problem, they lowered this line as low making sure that no one would be behind this line.

            Recently, prices of everything from vegetables to food grains to fuel has shot up like a rocket. If you are an Indian you would definitely share my feeling. Fuel is an exception,whose price rise every 4 month  has become a ritual in India.

             Neglecting all these facts, Planning Commission in its affidavit to Supreme Court has claimed that those spending more than Rs 965 per month in urban India and Rs 781 in rural India will not be considered poor. In their claim Rs.32/day  in urban India and Rs.26/day in rural areas is more than enough to consider those common man as a well-fed man, considering the fact that in urban areas a simple meal would take Rs.20. So people just do your maths and find out whether 30/-  is enough or what. It is an embarrassment and lack of empathy  towards the Indian people. The affidavit's statement is based on Suresh Tendulkar's Committee report, which draws this conclusion based on 2004-05 price rate. This shows their lack of responsibility towards country and its people. Before submitting such a report they should have considered the revised price rates of commodities and the revised BPL population figure, after 2005. what kind of image it would send to other countries of us? It questions our efficiency and exactness. 

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