POA for UPA II given rising rural poverty levels as estimated by noted economist SURESH TENDULKAR appointed by the Planning Commission who submitted his report in December 2009

1. TACKLE RISINGTACKLE RISING
POA for UPA II given rising rural poverty levels as
estimated by noted economist SURESH TENDULKAR
appointed by the Planning Commission who submitted
his report in December 2009
DONT DENYDONT DENY
IT EXISTSIT EXISTS

2. HOW DO WEHOW DO WE
DEAL WITH IT??DEAL WITH IT??
ACCEPT TENDULKARS ESTIMATION of a THIRTEEN
PERCENTILE increase in RURAL POVERTY and
immediately widen the FOOD SECURITY NET

3. EXCLUDE ONLYEXCLUDE ONLY
1. Those families who have family members as permanent
Government employees
2. Those families who are income tax payees
3. Those families who have land holdings more than the double of
the district average
4. Those families who own a gun license
5. Those who pay electricity and phone bills
(Note: The GOI has its own records to draw up an EXCLUSION LIST FOR
EVERY DISTRICT)

4. AN INCLUSIVE BPL LIST will make all SC/STs and MINORITIES in the
rural areas (except the better off sections who are excluded)
eligible to
AVAIL
Subsidised food grains sugar and kerosene
AS IMPORTANT
All the facilities and concessions under three dozen central
government schemes (because government schemes require BPL
cards as a pre requisite for applicants)
An easy and innovative way for SCs STs and Minorities to break
through the invisible yet rigid ceiling of CASTE and COMMUNITY
BIAS (especially from village level government officials)
INCLUDE ALL OTHERSINCLUDE ALL OTHERS

5. WHO ARE 42 perWHO ARE 42 per
cent RURAL POOR?cent RURAL POOR?
18-19 % cent of the 24% SC/ST rural population.
(about 4-5% of SC/STs would be excluded thru the exclusion criteria)
5-6 % of the 9-10% MINORITY POPULATION in rural areas of the
country
(about 4-5% of RURAL MINORITIES would be excluded thru the exclusion criteria)
10-12 % of the lower OBCs like Nai, Teli, Dhobi etc.
4-5% can be allotted to the poor among the higher castes in the country.
(Note; A detailed household survey be undertaken for OBCs and higher castes in the
country. The first two categories, SCs/STs/Minorities need no survey and should be
included automatically)
Total approximately 42% of the population, our rural poor

6. The UPA II government and especially the Congress Party
is committed to enhance the outlay for the social sector
and if need be this can be further enhanced on the basis of
the Tendulkar Report’s findings.
Neo-liberal economists -- also within government -- are
bound to oppose the Tendulkar Committee Report on
various grounds, the main being that the financial outlay
for the social sector will go up.

7. BACKGROUNDBACKGROUND
Suggestions on Poverty Estimation-:
On the basis of 61st Round of NSSO survey, the Planning Commission in
2004-05 had declared that 28.3 percent of the population in the rural areas
and 25.7 percent population in the urban areas are below poverty line on the
basis of consumption criteria. The criterion for rural areas was Rs. 356 per
person per month (Rs. 12 a day) and Rs. 478 per person per month for the
urban areas (Rs. 15.9 per day).
Many economists and experts in poverty estimation have been complaining of
under estimation of poverty because of non inclusion of expenditure on health,
education and other social needs. Hence the Planning Commission had
appointed an expert group under the chairmanship of Dr. Suresh Tendulkar to
review and suggest the methodology for estimation of poverty.

8. THE TENDULKARTHE TENDULKAR
COMMITTEECOMMITTEE
HAS revised the population of people below
poverty line in rural areas from 28.3 percent to
41.8 percent. In urban areas the percentage of
population below poverty line has been
maintained at 25.7 percent.
Due to a paucity of time, the TENDULKAR COMMITTEE REPORT
could not be discussed in the winter session of Parliament
With rising prices affecting the AAM ADMI, sugar prices shooting up
as the SUGAR SCAM fills the coffers of companies amounting to Rs
900 crores plus there is a growing ANGER and RESENTMENT against
the UPA
POLITICAL NEEDPOLITICAL NEED

9. AN INCLUSIVE BPL LIST has a HIGH
PREMIUM because it entails access to
almost all free goods and services disbursed
by the Government
CASTE and COMMUNITY BIAS excludes
the poorest of the poor amongst weaker
sections of society especially SC/STs and
minorities from these lists because of their
inability to negotiate with the lower
government machinery and other
instruments of the government.
An Inclusive BPL List allows a hassle free
access to the poorest of the poor to 3
dozen Central Government Schemes
THE BUDGET SESSION COULD BE STORMYTHE BUDGET SESSION COULD BE STORMY

10. STEPS SHOULDSTEPS SHOULD
BE TAKENBE TAKEN
Such URGENT Steps are necessary to CONVERT the SUPPORT and
EMPATHY generated by Shri Rahul Gandhi into concrete action
ACCEPT the Tendulkar Committee Estimation of
41.8% of rural population as living below the poverty line (BPL)
UNIVERSALISE the inclusion of all the SC/STs and Minorities living in
the rural areas of the country except those who have moved up
economically (Exclusion criteria detailed above)