Number Of BPL People Has Come Down In Odisha: Minister

Bhubaneswar: The number of people below the poverty line (BPL) has come down in Odisha, state Planning and Convergence Minister Padmanabh Behera told the Assembly on Thursday.

Replying to a question of BJP member Mohan Majhi, the minister said 2,21,60,000 people in the state were identified as below poverty line in 2004-2005 but that number came down to 1,38,53,000 in 2011-2012 fiscal.

Behera said the per capita income of the people of the state during the period has also increased. While the per capita income of people in rural areas was Rs 407, it was Rs 497 in urban areas in 2004-05 fiscal.

However, the minister said the survey conducted in 2011-12 revealed that the per capital income in rural and urban areas were Rs 695 and Rs 861 respectively.

The minister said the state government has implemented several poverty alleviation schemes like Madhu Babu Pension Yojana, Biju Pucca Ghar Yojana, Biju Swasthya Kalyan Yojana, Biju Gram Jyoti Yojana, Biju Saharnchal Vidyutkaran Yojana and others.

Odisha Governor Ganeshi Lal during his address to the Assembly on June 25, had said that the state government was taking measures to bring down the poverty below five per cent of the total population in next five years.