<p>Poverty can be defined in two ways – either through monthly earning or by measuring the calorie intake that indicates if a person earns enough to have square meals a day. <br /><br />The survey suggests that choosing one of the two options may give an incorrect estimate on the number of BPL families and combining the two would be a better idea. For instance, an expert panel set up by the Union Rural Development Ministry under the chairmanship of former bureaucrat N C Saxena, had pegged the per capita spending at Rs 356 per month in rural areas and Rs 539 per per month in urban areas to determine the number of BPL families.<br /><br />But that money is sufficient only for 1820 kilo calories while the desired norm would be 2,400 kilo calories for rural areas and 2,100 kilo calories for urban areas. <br /><br />The Saxena panel, therefore, suggested a monthly monetary spending of Rs 700 in rural areas and Rs 1,000 in urban areas as the benchmark. <br /><br />If the government accepts the panel’s recommendations, the percentage of people entitled to BPL status should be revised upwards to at least 50 per cent, the survey says.<br /><br />But another expert panel, set up by the Planning Commission with economist Suresh Tendulkar as chairman, took a different approach to derive a separate headcount. <br /><br />According to the Planning Commission panel, 41.8 per cent of the rural population come under the poverty line, whereas the combined national figure is 37.2 per cent. <br /><br />The panel has submitted its report, but the government is yet to take a decision.</p>
<p>Poverty can be defined in two ways – either through monthly earning or by measuring the calorie intake that indicates if a person earns enough to have square meals a day. <br /><br />The survey suggests that choosing one of the two options may give an incorrect estimate on the number of BPL families and combining the two would be a better idea. For instance, an expert panel set up by the Union Rural Development Ministry under the chairmanship of former bureaucrat N C Saxena, had pegged the per capita spending at Rs 356 per month in rural areas and Rs 539 per per month in urban areas to determine the number of BPL families.<br /><br />But that money is sufficient only for 1820 kilo calories while the desired norm would be 2,400 kilo calories for rural areas and 2,100 kilo calories for urban areas. <br /><br />The Saxena panel, therefore, suggested a monthly monetary spending of Rs 700 in rural areas and Rs 1,000 in urban areas as the benchmark. <br /><br />If the government accepts the panel’s recommendations, the percentage of people entitled to BPL status should be revised upwards to at least 50 per cent, the survey says.<br /><br />But another expert panel, set up by the Planning Commission with economist Suresh Tendulkar as chairman, took a different approach to derive a separate headcount. <br /><br />According to the Planning Commission panel, 41.8 per cent of the rural population come under the poverty line, whereas the combined national figure is 37.2 per cent. <br /><br />The panel has submitted its report, but the government is yet to take a decision.</p>
