The poverty ratio in rural areas dropped to nearly half between 1983 and 1999-2000. The proportion of the rural population living below poverty line, estimated at 45.65 per cent, has come down to 27.1 per cent in the terminal year of last century.
This was revealed by Rural Development Minister Kashiram Rana in a national conference on poverty and human rights organised by Unesco, in New Delhi, on Wednesday. He said the overall incidence of poverty in the country had declined from 44.48 per cent to 26.1 per cent during this period.
In absolute terms, the number of poor dropped from 323 million in 1983 to 260 million in 1999-2000. Rana said the 10th plan envisaged 5 per cent points reduction in poverty by 2007 and 15 per cent points by 2012 from the present level of 26.1 per cent.
Poverty reduction did not mean only adequate consumption of food and other consumer goods but also access to basic social services, especially education, drinking water and sanitation .The allocation for rural development in the 10th plan had been stepped up by 80 per cent to achieve these goals.
The minister pointed out that the measures taken by the rural development ministry had helped mobilise about 1.5 million self-help groups in rural areas.
Besides, about 4 million self-employment seekers had been assisted in taking up employment ventures with an investment of Rs 75 billion. The government was spending about Rs 100 billion every year to create wage employment of about 750 million man-days under the Sampoorna Grameen Rozgar Yojana (rural employment programme).
