NEWS IN BRIEF - POLITICS
No way of changing the targets; it will wipe out many poor people from the list of BPLs
Planning Commission set steep targets to reduce poverty in India in 12th Five Year Plan and ruled out any chance of 'revision'.
"It is not possible for us to take the poverty line to Rs15 per day per person levels within 5 years time. But Rs26 per day per person is feasible. When I say feasible that will require major effort. If you don't do that there is not God given right to reduce poverty at 10% rate," he said in a press conference.
The Planning Commission is proposing a target of reducing poverty by 10% to less than 20% of the population by 2017 -- the terminal year of the 12th Five-Year Plan.
"I think 10% is a pretty good target which would mean 2% decline every year during the 12th Plan period and Rs26 per day per person will straight a way remove many poors from the list curbing the number of irrational people," Ahluwalia said.
