Arvind Panagariya led task force on poverty files report, proposes new panel on BPL

Task force headed by NITI Aayog Vice-Chairman Arvind Panagariya to prepare a road map for elimination of poverty submitted its report to the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) on 11 September 2016.

It has suggested setting up a committee to identify people Below Poverty Line (BPL). It also suggested participation from states in defining the BPL population.

The other members of the task force were Aayog Member Bibek Debroy and secretaries from ministries of rural development, housing and urban poverty alleviation.

It asked for constitution of a new committee, which in participation with the states and other stakeholders should work on defining the BPL population and identify them.

It also suggested four options for tracking the poor and they are

First: It asks to continue with the Tendulkar poverty line.

Second: It asks to switch to the Rangarajan or other higher rural and urban poverty lines.

Third: It calls to track the progress over time of the bottom 30 percent of the population

Fourth: It asks to track progress along specific components of poverty such as nutrition, housing, drinking water, sanitation, electricity and connectivity.

Background

The task force was constituted in March 2015 with an initial mandate to finalise its report by 30 June 2015. Its main task was to prepare a road map for elimination of poverty as well as suggest strategies and anti-poverty programmes. Its terms of reference included developing a working definition of poverty and coordinating and developing synergy with central ministries and state government task forces.

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