(a) whether the Government has assessed that around 22 per cent of population is living
Below Poverty Line in the country;
(b) if so, the reaction of the Government thereto;
(c) whether as per the Food Security Act, it is essential to provide foodgrains at cheap
rate to about 67% population of the country;
(d) if so, whether under the said Act, 67% population of the country is poor; and
(e) if not, the details thereof and the reaction of the Government in this regard?
MINISTER OF STATE FOR PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS & PLANNING (SHRI RAJEEV SHUKLA)
(a) & (b): The Planning Commission estimates the incidence of poverty from the Large
Sample Surveys on Household Consumer Expenditure carried out by the National
Sample Survey Office (NSSO) of the Ministry of Statistics and Programme
Implementation based on the methodology determined by an Expert Committee. The
NSSO surveys are normally conducted on quinquennial basis. The poverty estimates for
2011-12 have been computed following the extant Tendulkar methodology based on
latest data on Monthly Per Capita Consumption Expenditure collected by NSSO in its
68th round conducted in 2011-12 and these have been released through a Press Note
issued on 22nd July 2013. According to this Press Note, the poverty ratio in the country is
estimated at 21.9% in 2011-12.
(c) to (e): The Government has decided to cover 67 per cent of the population under Food
Security Act. The proposed coverage is not restricted to the poor only. As per Planning
Commission estimates, 21.9 per cent of the people live below the poverty line in 2011-
12. Therefore, the population covered by food security is approximately three times of
the number of poor.