New Delhi: The Suresh Tendulkar committee
today submitted its report on a new methodology for measuring
poverty to the Planning Commission.
The report of the high-powered committee headed by the
former chairman of the Prime Minister's economic advisory
panel is likely to present the real picture of poverty in the
country, which may be worse than the current numbers.
"I have submitted the report to Planning Commission
Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia. It will be on the
website within a week," the noted economist Tendulkar said.
The Tendulkar panel was set up by the Prime Minister to
arrive at a comprehensive methodology to estimate poverty in
the country.
Sources said if the recommendations are accepted, the
percentage of the people living below the poverty line may
shoot up to 38 per cent, higher than the 27.5 per cent in
2004-05 and even 36 per cent in 1993-94.
The report, which based its estimations on a basket of
goods consumed by people in urban and rural areas, assumes
significance at a time when food prices are constantly rising.
The committee is also looking at expenditure on
education, health and sanitation of a family to determine
poverty level. As such, the report may change the very
definition of poverty in the country.
When asked about the development, Planning Commission
member Mihir Shah confirmed it saying that the report would be
placed on the plan panel's website shortly.
PTI
First Published: Tuesday, December 08, 2009, 23:29