Palnning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh met the Prime Minister on Sunday for the first time since the controversy over the Rs.32 poverty line erupted.
The two leaders are said to have discussed the affidavit, which said that people consuming items more than Rs. 32 per day in Urban areas and Rs. 26 in rural areas are not poor.
As per the affidavit, a family of five spending less that Rs. 4,824 (June 2011, prices) in urban areas will fall under the BPL (Below Poverty Line) category. The expenditure limit for a family in rural areas has been fixed at Rs. 3,905.
As per the affidavit, the number of people entitled to BPL benefits, has been estimated at Rs.40.74 crore, as aginst Rs. 37.2 crore estimated at the time of accepting the Tendulkar Committee Report.
Officials of the Planning Commission have said that providing benefits to more persons would defeat the purpose of the anti-poverty programme.
Congress General Secretary Rahul Gandhi had reportedly asked the panel to do a re-thinking over the definition. Montek Singh is expected to have clarified the panel's stand and to make a statement on Monday. He is also scheduled to meet Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh on Monday to discuss the issue.
News Reported for Newsvision by AR
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