Lok Sabha Question No. 2135 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2016-05-06
Subject: Poverty Status of Urban and Rural Areas
Ministry: PLANNING
Asked by: R. PARTHIPAN, C. MAHENDRAN

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF PLANNING

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION No. 2135 TO BE ANSWERED ON 06.05.2016

## Poverty Status of Urban and Rural Areas

## 2135.    SHRI R. PARTHIPAN: SHRI C. MAHENDRAN :

Will the Minister of PLANNING be pleased to state:

(a) whether the Government has taken cognizance of differences of poverty status between urban and rural areas;

(b) if so, the details thereof along with the steps taken by the Government to respond to the situation; and

(c) whether any study has been conducted by any Government agency in this regard and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) FOR MINISTRY OF PLANNING AND MINISTER OF STATE FOR DEFENCE (RAO INDERJIT SINGH)

(a) & (b) :  The Government is aware of the poverty status prevailing in urban and rural areas of the country. The poverty in the country has been estimated regularly by the Government based on Large Sample Surveys on Household Consumer Expenditure carried out by the National Sample Survey Office  (NSSO)  of  the  Ministry  of  Statistics  and  Programme  Implementation.    These  surveys  are normally conducted on quinquennial basis. The latest data of Large Sample Survey on Household Consumer Expenditure has been collected by NSSO in its 68 th round conducted in 2011-12. For the year 2011-12, at all India level, the poverty ratio has been estimated as 25.7 percent in rural areas and 13.7 percent in urban areas.

The Government has initiated various measures to improve the quality of life of the people and to reduce poverty in the rural as well as urban areas of the country through direct intervention by implementing  specific  poverty  reduction  and  mitigation  programmes.  To  improve  the  livelihood security  of  the  poor  households  in  rural  areas  of  the  country,  the  Government  is  implementing Mahatma Gandhi National  Rural  Employment  Guarantee  Scheme  (MGNREGS)  which  is  world's largest public work programme. The other important schemes targeted towards poverty alleviation in both  rural  and  urban  areas  include  Pradhan  Mantri  Jan-Dhan  Yojana  (PMJDY),  National  Rural Livelihoods  Mission  (NRLM),  National  Urban  Livelihoods  Mission  (NULM),  Atal  Mission  for Rejuvenation  and  Urban  Transformation  Mission  (AMRUT),  Housing  for  All,  National  Health Mission  (NHM),  Sarva  Sikhsha  Abhiyaan  (SSA),  Integrated  Child  Development  Scheme  (ICDS), Mid-Day Meal Scheme (MDMS), Swachh Bharat Mission, National Social Assistance Programme

(NSAP), Targeted Public  Distribution  System  (TPDS)/  National  Food  Security  Act  (NFSA),  road connectivity through the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY), Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti BimaYojana, the Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana, Atal Pension Yojana etc. There are many other initiatives which are directly taken by the State Governments keeping in view the State and district-specific  requirements. The emphasis of the Government is on 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas' which symbolizes inclusive development.

(c):     No specific study has recently been conducted by NITI Aayog regarding differences of poverty status between urban and rural areas.

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