Open to reviewing how we measure poverty, Montek Singh Ahluwalia tells NDTV: Highlights

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