The Planning Non Sense

If there is one feeling which gripped me today morning, it was a sense of guilt. A deep sense of remorse.

Reason - A new headline in today's Times Of India. It screamed out on the first page - Rs. 32/day enough to cross 'poverty line'.

The Planning Commission of India supposedly thinks that earning Rs. 33 per day makes a person above the poverty line. For people outside India, this is just 0.66 USD, or 0.5 EUR, or 0.44 GBP at today's exchange rate.

What a sham!!

To think of it, you would have eminent economists sit on the commission, to tell this non-sense to the people of India. A guy on the street can make a much better assessment on what is needed to be above the Poverty Line.


These silly guys have the guts to give the assessment pictured above. 

If you spend 2 Rupees 30 paise on milk, a day, and drink 85 ml of milk, this would make you above the poverty line. Is this quantity of milk even sufficient for a 6 month old child, for his mental and physical development?? 

Is 20 grams of pulses sufficient for one person for one day for maintaining his or her basic health??

Just have a thought for an Indian family with a husband and the wife, and a kid. If one person in the family is working, and earns Rs. 33 per day, what does each member of the family get? One third of the portions above. :(:(

Yes, India is not a rich country. It's an emerging economy. It has many poor people. But what our guys achieving with this assessment?? 

Even someone who is really poor is classified as above 'Poverty Line'. This would in turn have an effect on the benefits he or she would get. This in turn would effect the quality of life he or she can lead. 

It's very disgusting to have this criteria to deciding whether a person is above or below the Poverty Line.

I can say just thing. Whatever you do, whatever criteria you set, do one important thing - If you have a problem, accept the problem. If you don't accept the problem, there is no way you can resolve the problem.

Our guys here are failing to acknowledge that India has many poor people. But by doing so, they are walking 10 steps back from eradicating poverty. Hope better sense prevails and such assessments are corrected appropriately. 

If not, it would reflect very poorly on Manmohan Singh, an eminent economist by himself. 

Manmohan Sir, if you don't understand basic economics, please don't call yourself an economist.

The Planning Non Sense The Planning Non Sense Reviewed by Vyankatesh on Wednesday, September 21, 2011 Rating: 5

4 comments:

  1. I kind of freaked when I read this news headline yesterday morning. According to this assessment I will not be surprised if tomorrow they declare my name as a millionaire:). It is nothing but a ridiculous situation. 33/- Rs and you are not poor... We need an answer Governement..

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  2. this truly is shocking piece of information.,I really wish The Governments of this region become more answerable to people on such issues..people surely need more clear answers..a very nice read!

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  3. I agree with you ladies.

    What is worse still is the fact that none of the opposition parties, or the members from the Government have raised a voice over it!!

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  4. Here is an article on Times of India

    The article summarizes with poignant line - "There might be no nobility in poverty but it takes guts to survive a life of want"

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