Parliamentary panel asks government to revisit BPL definition
By PTI - NEW DELHI
19th December 2012 09:31 PM
A Parliamentary panel today said
different estimates of the country's poor population are
"confusing" and the government should revisit the definition
of BPL (below poverty line).
"The Committee also urge the government to revisit the
definition of BPL with the concerned authorities as they find
it confusing that India's poor population rises and falls with
every statistical redefinition," Parliament's Committee on
Estimates, headed Francisco Sardinha, said in its 18th Report
tabled in the Lok Sabha today.
The different estimates on poverty figures can be gauged
from the fact that the Tendulkar's Committee report puts the
poor population in the country at 81 million families, whereas
the Agriculture Ministry is stated to have put the number at
65 million families, the Committee said.
"The Committee would like the Ministry (of Food) to
clarify to this point too," the report said.
In the report "Procurement and storage of foodgrains",
the committee said it observed "around 37 per cent of the
total population falls BPL, problems of hunger is still
widespread" even as wheat production in the country has risen
by 10 times and rice output by four times in last 50 years.
"Consequently, procurement of foodgrains, maintenance and
storage of stocks and effective distribution to the people
through PDS and other welfare schemes continue to be a big
challenges faced by the government," it said.
It further said "even with bountiful of harvest of rabi
and kharif crops, there has been substantial amount of
loss of 50,000 tonnes of foodgrains due to mismanagement of
procurement as well as inadequate and faulty storage
techniques".
This has brought renewed focus on the twin challenges
of feeding the poor and overhauling the procurement, storage
and distribution infrastructure for foodgrains, it added.
In the report, the Committee has identified certain
critical issues such as problem of increasing food subsidy
costs, complaints regarding PDS, acute storage facilities
among others.
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Comments(1)
If it takes so much time to define BPL,how long will it take to feed the BPL people.The richest man in a remote village is the poorest soul in a metropolitan city like Delhi.Then how to calculate BPL?Why confusion?Declare whoever is alive ,is above BPL.Secondly,why split hairs with regard to mismanagement of foodgrain procurement,inadequate storage facilities,lopsided PDS distribution etc.,etc.,Bring in Walmart.Instead of direct payment of subsidy amount to the banks,pay Walmart.Ask Walmart to deposit the kickbacks in USB.Matter over,have a good night's sleep
Posted by KALLAN KRISHNARAJ at 12/19/2012 22:35 Reply to this Report abuse