India Development Coalition of America-IDCA-Poverty Alleviation

Published on August 20 2009 , Page 13 http://epaper.hindustantimes.com/ArticleText.aspx?article=20_08_2009_013_006&kword=&mode=1 38 per cent of Indians are poor: report The figure is 10 per cent higher than the present poverty estimate of 28.5 by Chetan Chauhan … chetan@hindustantimes.com About 38 per cent of the country's population are poor, a government committee constituted to estimate poverty has said. The figure is 10 per cent higher than the present poverty estimate of 28.5 per cent. The committee, based on new methodology, has taken into consideration indicators for health, education, sanitation, nutrition and income, as per the National Sample Survey Organisation (NSSO) survey of 2004-05, to reach at new poverty estimation for India. The survey had said India's population was 1.1 billion that year. A committee headed by S.D. Tendulkar, former chairperson of the PM Economic Advisory Committee (PMEAC), has used a different methodology, in its preliminary find

--- On Fri, 21/8/09, HARIHARAN PV wrote: Date: Friday, 21 August, 2009, 9:07 AM Dear Dr Mohan Jain and Friends I have personally made certain studies during the last twenty years. Until about last year ( before the sudden increase of the costs of all household food items in India by as much as 100% this year ) the average minimum livelihood NEED for an individual was estimated @ Rs.3500 to Rs.4000 per month (about Rs.45, 000 per person per annum), for a decent living level. (c ontrast this with the paltry amount of about Rs.6000 to Rs.7500 per annum being promised under NREGS )... My estimates were based on personal (discussions) visits to various villages from Dhule and Nashik in Mahrashtra to Kanyakumari District in the southern most part of India. It was shocking that as much as 74% of the village population DOES NOT have this "decent level" of living quality ... in most cases their estimated earnings would be @ less than Rs.7500 per annum (about Rs.6