Contours of poverty

 Shiban  Khaibri
The government claims that the level of poverty has come down in the country from 37% to 22% even at the level of Rs.27 per day per person in rural areas and Rs.33 that in the urban areas respectively, being sufficient for human sustenance. The two figures, despite being based on assumptions, are otherwise also not uniformly spread among the people under such income brackets.  As per a startling report, there are vast segments of the poor who have not still managed to even reach the “magical” benchmarks of survival fixed by the planners sitting in our Yojna Bhavan of Rs.27 and Rs33 respectively. Such segments manage to survive on Rs.17 per day in villages and on Rs. 23 in urban areas. Though one third of the world’s poor live in our country, yet it is difficult to imagine as to how such vast segments can even touch the barest minimum required calories intake of 2400 and 2100 per day in rural and urban areas respectively. The survey report further says that 5% of the population at the bottom level had an average monthly expenditure of Rs. 521 in villages and Rs. 700 in urban areas. Again, on an average, on all India basis, monthly per capita expenditure was around Rs.1430 for villages and about Rs 2630 for urban India.
The question, however, is as to how can the figures of the government that claims a climb down to poverty percentage to 22% are taken on its face value since the biggest and tallest flag ship of food security law provides for 70% rural and 45% urban coverage ? The two view points are contradictory as on the one hand, the present dispensation is eager to show in its performance chart that the poverty line has gone down but on the other hand, wants vast identified spectrum from the poor to come under the coverage of the Food Security Bill as the benefits there-under, can influence vast spectrum of the electorate to vote to power, the Congress led coalition government as they are claiming to be the authors of the scheme.  In other words, this government is bound to show actual number if not more, as poor to impart  the “benefit” of the scheme to repeat the fruits of MGNREGA .There is the other side of the picture and that is, if at all it be agreed that the level of poverty has come down, it  is, however,  neutralized by the addition in the number of the unemployed. The two must be  inter- related as when the rate of growth shows an upward trend, there is bound to be an increase in employment levels and also increase in wages but  reverse results were observed. According to a report, there has been a loss of nearly 5 crore jobs or the absence of as much opportunities of employment, during the period 2005 -10. That the country was sitting on what is called the “unemployment volcano” was revealed by an economic survey conducted by the government in Feb 2013 wherein it was admitted that the number of jobs had registered an alarming downward trend. The last two years have shown that economic slow down and fall in exports have resulted in the number of jobs   going further down. The report further predicts unavailability or loss of as many as 28 lac jobs more till the year 2020. We are experiencing a scenario of growth sans employment. That casts gloom not only on the challenging economic front, disparity in developmental levels among the sections of the society but it could pose a social and a political problem with spurt in cynicism and discontentment.
The government has invested in sectors like infrastructure and services which contribute to growth leading to marginal reduction in poverty levels on short term basis but is not commensurate with the increase in the employment opportunities. It is a big challenge for our policy planners and economic and financial experts. Idle man power is not only wastage of productive resources but also a potent danger to law and order problem and tranquility in the societies.
It is amusing to see the politicization of poverty rather than addressing it more seriously. Noble laureate and a noted Economist Amartya  Sen lays stress on development through social reforms such as education and public health.  More spending on health and education sectors is cardinal to the spurt in economic development but does it not look strange that the population factor which is a neutralizing factor in the development, be nowhere discussed. In 1948 we were 38.90 crores and were calling this country as overpopulated especially in comparison to availability of food and employment. Presently, we have crossed 122 crores and now should be calling this country as hyper sensitively overpopulated. All the spending on the welfare measures of the poor sections and  on infrastructure and other sectors like agriculture, industries etc; are showing little results or far from expected ones  for the simple reason of over population.  The gains felt through economic growth and development of the people gets neutralized or not reaching upto the desired levels by the ever increasing swarms of the population.  Can any policy planner or an Economist ever contest this fact that over population is leading to the mess of almost all projects of development concerning the citizens of this country in terms of availability of food, water, shelter and employment?  The assertion of Amartya Sen is uncontested that the country’s development strategy remains fundamentally flawed. Perhaps, that is the reason that in fighting poverty and malnutrition, we could not do as expected all these 65 years. It would be in the fitness of things that the Noble Laureate Sen’s economic developmental model, to fight poverty and attaining  inclusive all round growth, is adopted in India to reap the desired results. While praising development through market economic expansion in Gujarat, he finds enough not having been done in education and public health there. Again the elements of corruption rather  massive corruption, adulteration, failure to take timely decisions and mismanagement have not been touched by Sen as being responsible to a large extent to derail the developmental process. Just the train of events of mid- day meal  food poisoning of school children surfaced during July alone can prove the point. Just instances of fake and sub – standard medicines administered to patients in many cases and worst many safai karamcharis and rickshaw pullers doubling up to doctors and administering life saving, read life snatching, injections to patients in hospitals. These may be sporadic incidents but are symptomatic of prevailing mis-management and corruption.
We take the political angle, there are no budgetary provisions, non availability of massive funds for implementation of food security but all shall be arranged irrespective of what collateral damage is suffered by the economy. At least, that can fetch votes in tons like NAREGA a few years back. Some leaders then shall still project the price of “Bhar Pet Thali” at less than Rs.12, Rs. 5 and even Re 1 at Maharashtra, Delhi and Kashmir respectively. Poverty must flourish till vote banks are secured and strengthened.

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