Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said on Thursday though there are several criteria for determining people living below poverty line, the government currently follows the 'calorie intake' method, which is now under review by an expert group.
"There are several ways in which poverty can be measured . . . the National Sample Survey is the basis for calculating poverty on headcount basis.
"The calorie intake in urban areas is 2,100 calories while in rural areas it is 2,400 calories," the prime minister said while intervening during a reply to a supplementary asked by BJP MP Murli Manohar Joshi in Rajya Sabha.
Joshi in a supplementary sought to know on what basis the government determines people living below poverty line and whether it is satisfied with the method.
He wondered how calorie intake could be the only measure when clothes and shelter are also basics of life.
However, when minister of state for planning V Narayansamy said 'poverty line is being assessed', there was an uproar in the House and Joshi was joined by CPI-M- MP Brinda Karat, who wanted a satisfactory reply from the minister.
"The minister is confusing the House through his reply," Joshi said. At this point, the Prime Minister intervened and said "the method of calorie intake has been certified by a committee headed by Prof D T Lakdawala.
Currently a committee under Prof Suresh Tendulkar is reviewing the methodology".
The prime minister added that criteria followed by the World Bank are different from what is followed here.
Earlier, Narayansamy in his reply said that the Lakdawla committee, constituted in 1993, had submitted its report in 1997.
He said the extent of poverty reduction during the 11th Five Year Plan has been projected on the basis of the poverty lines which is different in the rural and urban areas of each state, instead of international poverty line.
The Plan targets to reduce the headcount ratio of consumption poverty by 10 percentage points during the five year period of the 11th Plan, he added.
