Sharad Yadav to Yechury: Who said what on the Rangarajan report

A panel headed by former PMEAC Chairman C Rangarajan today dismissed the Tendulkar Committee report on estimating poverty and said that the number of poor in India was much higher in 2011-12 at 29.5 percent of the population, which means that three out of 10 persons are poor. As per the report, persons spending below Rs 47 a day in cities would be considered poor, much above the Rs 33-per-day mark suggested by the Suresh Tendulkar Committee.

As per the Rangarajan panel estimates, poverty stood at 38.2 percent in 2009-10 and slid to 29.5 per cent in 2011-12. This is at variance with the Tendulkar methodology under which poverty was estimated at 29.8 per cent in 2009-10 and declined to 21.9 per cent in 2011-12.

The report says 35 crore (362 million) are poor in India. However, had it used the World Bank’s definition of poverty for developed nations, which is $2 per person per day (Rs 119), the number of poor in the country could be pegged at 800 million.

While the Tendulkar report was snubbed by then opposition BJP, now the Congress and other parties have dismissed the Rangarajan report.

Here are some reactions:

Sharad Yadav, JD(U): How can anybody eat in Rs.47? Passing such a statement is completely wrong and a cruel joke. Planning Commission talks under different criteria. Bureaucrats do not know anything about this country. Until it is not given to politicians, exact figures wouldn’t be known.

Sitaram Yechury, CPI(M): What mockery are you unleashing on the poor of this country? What is this Rangarajan report? Who are you trying to fool? This is Parliament. Stop trying to fool this House.

DP Tripathi,NCP: Ye kis tarah ki report aati hain is desh mein? Sun ke sharam aur gussa aata hai. (What sort of report is this. It is embarassing and infurating.)

Rajiv Pratap Rudy, BJP: Around 35 crore ppl are below poverty line according to report, govt will take this into cognizance.

MJ Akbar, BJP: This a shame that we are still discussing poverty after 7 decades of independence. That is why Modi ji has taken a step towards eliminating poverty and not just alleviating it.