Ahluwalia should explain new poverty line cap or resign, says Aruna Roy

New Delhi, Oct 1 (ANI): Noted social activist and member of National Advisory Council (NAC) Aruna Roy has demanded the resignation of Deputy Planning Commission chief Montek Singh Ahluwalia if he fails to give an explanation on the new poverty line cap.

Following inflationary trends, on September 20, the Planning Commission in an affidavit to Supreme Court stated that Rs. 25 in rural areas and Rs. 32 in urban areas per day were sufficient to cover expenditure on food, education and health.

Terming the new poverty line as 'atrocious', Roy said issue needs intensified discussion and calculation should be revised rationally as by lowering the amount large number of people will be deprived of the much needed help.

"If they bring down the BPL (Below Poverty Line) level so low then you are leaving large chunks of very needy and hungry people of any benefits, so what is the need of making rights based laws. On one side you say that you will give rights and on other side you are preparing for taking away the rights. So this holds no relevance and thus we want it to be revised," she added.

Further slamming the price hike, Roy said the concern is the line of poverty, as the commission decision would adversely affect the poor.

"See the BPL, why should the whole planning commission, the ministries all be so interested in BPL categorization today? It is because it is the bottom line for excluding or including people, so that is why there so much interest and it is really atrocious that in this country today with the kind of price hikes we had in the last month on petrol which effects every single commodity. Can you expect people to live on this small amount of money and it is a pittance really," she said.

India has been struggling to contain inflation, which is at a 13-month high of 9.78 percent.

The revised poverty lines have drawn criticism from various parties and civil society members who state that the renewed figures would keep out majority of the country's population from receiving welfare benefits of the government. (ANI)