"The Planning Commission of India is creating all kind of confusion over the poverty data. When one of its committee says that number of BPL families in Odisha is above 80 lakh, another claims the figure at 32 lakh while the state's 1997 survey put the figure at 48.58 lakh. The plan panel's data creates problem for the state," Food and Civil Supplies minister P K Deo said in the Assembly.
While replying to a debate on adjournment motion about alleged less supply of rice quota to BPL families, the minister said the methodology adopted by the Planning Commission in downsizing the poverty estimates have been objected by Odisha.
Odisha has an estimated at 48.58 lakh BPL families, but the Centre basing on the Lakdawala Committee of the Planning Commission drastically reduced the BPL figure to 32.98 lakh and allotted rice at the rate of 35 kg per family per month, the minister said.
Not only Odisha, the minister said even the Standing Committee of Parliament on Food, Civil Supplies and Public Distribution in its 24th report has asked the Planning Commission for a relook at the poverty situation.