Lok Sabha Question No. 186 (STARRED), answered on 2016-07-29
Subject: Panel for New Poverty Line
Ministry: PLANNING
Asked by: SHRIKANT EKNATH SHINDE, RAJESHBHAI NARANBHAI CHUDASAMA

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF PLANNING

## LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION No. *186 TO BE ANSWERED ON 29.07.2016

## PANEL FOR NEW POVERTY LINE

- *186. DR. SHRIKANT EKNATH SHINDE: SHRI RAJESHBHAI CHUDASAMA:

Will the Minister of  PLANNING be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government has assessed the impact of the anti-poverty schemes and other welfare initiatives and if so, the findings thereof;
- (b) whether the NITI Aayog has recently proposed to set up a panel of experts to formulate and define new poverty line, and if so, the details thereof;
- (c) the composition and the terms of reference of the panel; and
- (d) the time by which the said panel is likely to submit its report to the Government?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) FOR MINISTRY OF PLANNING AND MINISTER OF STATE FOR MINISTRY OF URBAN DEVELOPMENT & MINISTRY OF HOUSING & URBAN POVERTY ALLEVIATION

(RAO INDERJIT SINGH)

- (a) to (d): A Statement is laid on the Table of the House.

STATEMENT  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PARTS  (a)  TO  (d)  OF  LOK  SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 186* REGARDING 'PANEL FOR NEW POVERTY LINE' RAISED BY DR. SHRIKANT EKNATH SHINDE & SHRI RAJESHBHAI CHUDASAMA DUE FOR ANSWER ON 29 th  JULY, 2016.

(a) Government is implementing various poverty alleviation programmes such as Mahatma Gandhi National  Rural  Employment  Guarantee  Act  (MGNREGA),  Deendayal  Antyodaya  Yojana  National  Rural  Livelihoods  Mission  (DAY-NRLM),  Deendayal  Antyodaya  Yojana  -  National Urban Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NULM), Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana (PMAY) and National Social  Assistance  Programme  (NSAP)  for  sustainable  and  inclusive  growth  through  a  multipronged strategy for poverty alleviation by increasing livelihood opportunities, providing social safety net and developing infrastructure for growth and improvement of quality of life.  Besides, Government has also implemented schemes like Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana, Pradhan Mantri Jeevan  Jyoti  Bima  Yojana,  Pradhan  Mantri  Suraksha  Bima  Yojana  and  Atal  Pension  Yojana towards this end.

Implementation of various programmes is reviewed with the State Governments at regular intervals. The impact assessment studies are also conducted from time to time through independent agencies and the findings of such studies are shared with the States and other stakeholders for taking corrective measures, if needed.

(b) Pursuant to the decision taken in the first meeting of the Governing Council of NITI Aayog on 8th February, 2015, a Task Force on Elimination of Poverty in India was constituted by NITI Aayog vide order dated 16th March, 2015 under the Chairmanship of Dr. Arvind Panagariya, Vice Chairman,  NITI  Aayog.  The  report  of  the  Task  Force  has  been  submitted  to  Hon'ble  Prime Minister on 11 th July,  2016.  The  Task  Force in its  report has,  inter-alia,  recommended that an expert committee be set up to arrive at an informed decision on the level at which the poverty line should be set.

(c) & (d): The panel of experts is yet to be appointed. Hence, the question does not arise.

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