Poverty declined to 29.8 per cent in 2009-10 from 37.2 per cent in
2004-05, according to the Planning Commission. It estimated the total
number of poor in the country at 34.47 crore in 2009-10, against 40.72
crore in 2004-05.
Poverty declined at a faster pace in rural India between 2004-05 and
2009-10, the Plan panel said in its estimates released on Monday.
However, overall poverty is still more pronounced in rural India.
“The all-India head count ratio (HCR) has declined by 7.3 percentage
points… with rural poverty declining by 8 percentage points from 41.8
per cent to 33.8 per cent and urban poverty declining by 4.8 percentage
points from 25.7 per cent to 20.9 per cent,” according to an official
statement.
THE MOST MARGINALISED
Among social groups in rural areas, 47.4 per cent Scheduled Tribes are
the poorest, followed by Scheduled Castes at 42.3 per cent, Other
Backward Castes at 31.9 per cent, against 33.8 per cent for all classes.
In urban India, SCs are the poorest at 34.1 per cent, followed by STs at
30.4 per cent and OBC at 24.3 per cent against 20.9 per cent for all
classes.
Among religious groups, Muslims are the poorest in urban areas at 33.9
per cent. In rural areas, the HCR for Muslims is very high in Assam
(53.6 per cent), Uttar Pradesh (44.4 per cent), West Bengal (34.4 per
cent) and Gujarat (31.4 per cent).
FARM/CASUAL LABOUR POOREST
In the work segment, nearly 50 per cent of agricultural labourers are
poor and 40 per cent of other labourers are below the poverty line in
rural areas.
Even in the agriculturally prosperous States of Haryana, 55.9 per cent
of agricultural labourers are poor, whereas in Punjab it is as high as
35.6 per cent.
In urban areas, casual labourers were the worst off with 47.1 per cent
poor. The HCR of casual labour was the highest in Bihar (86 per cent),
Assam (89 per cent), Orissa (58.8 per cent), Punjab (56.3 per cent),
Uttar Pradesh (67.6 per cent) and West Bengal (53.7 per cent).
The Planning Commission's estimates of poverty are based on the
methodology recommended by the Tendulkar Committee, which includes
spending on health and education, besides calorie intake.
