New Delhi:
In an exclusive interview to NDTV, Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission Montek Singh Ahluwalia said that while he accepted the need for a more multi-dimensional measure of poverty, it's undisputed that under the UPA government, poverty has gone down in the last nine years.
Following are the highlights of his interview:- On the food issue, the perception was that you need some support for the Aam Aadmi
- Govt has recognised the Tendulkar line is too low and UPA 2 - under Rangarajan is reviewing it
- People don't want to recognise that UPA has done three times better than the previous government in poverty alleviation
- If you are not getting access to clean drinking water you are deprived - we need a complex, multi-dimensional measure of poverty
- If you are not getting access to clean drinking water you are deprived
- We need a complex, multi-dimensional measure of poverty
- In the 12th Plan, we have said deprivation is multi-dimensional
- Historically poverty line meant to be a 'rock-bottom' level, not a comfort level
- Please combine the gaps we have with an honest recognition that progress is being made
- Opposition allegations are ridiculous, they had an even lower line
- Not saying poverty is gone, but to not acknowledge that things are better is ridiculous
- We have met the millennium development goals - there is no question in my mind that poverty is much more complex than this line
- It is not enough to spend more money, we must deliver good education and health
- Frankly impossible to get all the indicators every year - if on the 25 indicators we make progress on each in say, five years, I think we're doing a very good job