Farooq Abdullah assured poor to have full meal for Rs 1 but didn’t disclose the place from where

New Delhi: Leaders of Congress are coming in a queue to justify the definition of poverty given by Planning Commission and mocking over the poor population of Country. On one side mass number of population has showed their anger toward the criteria of justification of poor people, leaders of Congress is applying salt to their wound. Union Minister of New & Renewable Energy Farooq Abdullah, of the National Conference said that one can have a full meal for Re 1, if desired.

After Congress’ Raj Babbar and Rasheed Masood, he is the third leader of Congress who came forward to justify the Planning Commission’s definition of poverty.

It has appeared as a joke of Abdullah of 1 rupee for food in the era where the minimum charge of a glass of drinking water is 1 rupee.

Meanwhile Rasheed Masood, Congress leader yesterday said, “You can eat a meal in Delhi for Rs 5, I don’t know about Mumbai. You can get a meal for Rs 5 near Jama Masjid (in Delhi).”

Meanwhile this statement had been proven false when some media persons visited to Jama Masjid in search of food in 5 rupees.

These comments are being viewed as part of the Congress and government’s efforts to defend a report by the Planning Commission which said poverty has declined by 22 percent since the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government came to power in 2004.

The Planning Commission on Tuesday showed that the percentage of people below poverty line declined sharply to 21.9 in the 2011-12 financial year from 37.2 recorded in 2004-05.

The national poverty line, by using the Tendulkar methodology, has been estimated at Rs 816 per capita per month in villages and Rs 1,000 per capita per month in cities.

This means that people whose daily consumption of goods and services exceed worth Rs 33.33 in cities and Rs 27.20 in villages do not fall under the poverty category.

The Congress has claimed that poverty had come down in the country due to the pro-poor policies of the UPA government. Latching on to crass remarks, the main opposition BJP termed them as “laughable”.

BJP spokesperson Prakash Javadekar said Planning Commission figures on poverty reduction were a conspiracy against the poor, designed to deprive them of welfare schemes. He asked the Congress to demonstrate how one can live on an income of Rs 34 a day.

Bureau Report