Ancient era’s golden bird India is now home to 1/3rd of extreme poor population in world, I forget where I read that but it’s true. Stats say 1.2 billion extreme poor live in our country. According to year 2014 united nation millennium development goals report 1.4 million children die every year before reaching their 5th Birthday. States like Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, Orissa, Bihar, Chhattisgarh and West Bengal are major contributor in country’s poverty index.
What is Poverty?
In India there is no fixed index or criteria to measure poverty. In our country commonly two definitions are used to explain poverty one is Consumption based Poverty and another is Income based poverty.
- Consumption based poverty: In year 1971, Mr. Dandekar and Mr. Rath suggested that measure of poverty rate is based on Calories consumed by a person. Calorie indicator for an individual living in Rural area is 2400 calories and in Urban area its 2100 calories.
- Income based povert
y : In year 2002, new criteria of measuring poverty was launched during 10th five year plan based on 13 parameter with scores 0-4 including Land Holding, type of house, number of clothes, sanitation, distance of water source from household, literacy status, means of livelihood, consumer durables, status of children etc.
As per our experience both methods are completely irrelevant in calculating poverty status of a family. During a survey our HelpIndi team met Mohan S/o Bharat Singh Resident of Phipheda Village in Dahi Tehsil of Dhar District Madhya Pradesh. He belongs to Schedule tribe and is father of 4 kids, he works as a construction worker and earn 150 a day. His house is approx 80 square feet two walls made of bricks and remaining two walls are Kuchha walls. He assembled roof with tin and plastic sheet.
Previously his name was in Below Poverty Line list, when surveyor came again he said you live in Kuchha-Pakka house, your kids has two dresses each, your Water source is within 500 meter reach, your children are studying in government school, so now you are above poverty line. Surveyor strike off his name from below poverty line list, do you think it’s fair?
It’s how government is eradicating poverty and we think if poverty indicators are depicting fall in poverty its true. But it’s not true at all. Who will help them to empower, why we can’t take initiative to help people like Mohan to empower and motivate him to empower someone else. We think this is how we can make this world a better place to live.
Tapan Deshmukh 