Poverty no longer defined by Tendulkar line, decides govt

With an eye on general elections, the government has decided to do away with the  Planning Commission's controversial definition of poverty.A new panel is likely to be formed to consider the country's socio-economic profile being brought out by the Socio Economic Caste Census (SECC) to determine the poverty line. Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh said new poverty line would not be based on the Suresh  Tendulkar Committee report and some other line will be there to identify the beneficiaries of government's social security programmes.

'Where the poverty line will be drawn, that we have not decided, what we have said is that it won't be Tendulkar line. It would be some other line, so, where the poverty line will be drawn, that issue is yet to be decided,' said Ramesh. The minister added that discussions are being held with Planning Commission on whether a new panel will be set up to determine the  beneficiaries.