news details |
|
|
| Bring 24 lakh people out of poverty line | | | If one fith of the population in Jammu and Kashmir falls in the below poverty line (BPL) category bad management on the part of the successive state Governments is treated as one of the factors responsible for it.Normally the state with huge potential for tourism,pilgrim traffic and adventure tourism should not have over 20 lakh people in BPL category.Apart from tourism and pilgrim traffic sectors production of fresh and dry fruits besides saffron could have proved highly beneficial for the rural people.But what is surprising is that 98 per cent of people living in BPL category belong to the rural areas.This indicates that fruit cultivation has gone in the hands of the rich or the main benefit of fruit export is reaped either by the middlemen or by the big traders.It also indicates that the sector of agriculture has remained fragile leaving the poor poorer despite toiling in the field.
Even the official reports have confirmed that about one fifth of the population in Jammu and Kashmir falls in BPL category, with about 98 per cent among them living in the rural areas. A Government survey says that nearly 24.21 lakh persons are poor in J&K (21.63 per cent) of which 22 lakh live in the rural areas and only 2.21 lakh in urban areas. The poverty graph, according to the survey, has however shown constant decrease. As per the survey the poverty was 30.34 per cent (Rural) 9.18 per cent (Urban) and 25.17 per cent Combined (R+U) in 1993-94. The poverty ratio during past years has decreased by 14.06 per cent from the base year 1993-94. But the absolute poverty has shown an increase from 19.05 lakh (R), 1.86 lakh (U) in 1993-94 to 22 lakh, 2.21 lakh and 24.21 lakh respectively till in 2007-08. On the state level, the data says that in rural areas the Kashmir division with 26.58 per cent has more BPL population percentage as compared to Jammu division with 25.61 per cent. While Jammu division at 8.19 per cent has more urban poverty percentage as compared to that of Kashmir division with 7.81 percent. In Jammu division, the total estimated BPL population is 10.59 lakh with a dispersion of 9.69 lakh persons in rural areas and 90 thousands in urban areas.Degree of poverty becomes more visible and pronounced among the people who live away from the urban business centres and district headquarters.
If the curve in absolute poverty has shown an upward curve during the last 10 years or more it is the result of two major factors.First being prolonged militancy related violence that caused displacment and sqeezing in job avenues.Even a large number of traders had to face losses because of frequent shutdowns and marked decrease in export of fresh and dry fruits.Secondly,bad management has been responsible for marginal drop in the BPL population and gradual rise in the absolute poverty.In fact the benefits of various development schemes and projects failed to flow to the poor because of high rate of corrupt pract ices adopted by the executing agencies in implementing these schemes. In the field of horticultre or agriculture the role of latest technologies for revolutionising crop and fruit production remained limited.The Government's focus on promoting agro-based industries remained hazy with the result the entire sector of industry failed to register as much growth as other states witnessed during the last two decades.The Government has ordered that fresh census of BPL population be carried out.This is not as important as is the need for bringing the BPL population above the poverty line.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| |
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
STOCK UPDATE |
|
|
 |
| BSE
Sensex |
 |
| NSE
Nifty |
|
|
| |
CRICKET UPDATE |
|
|
|
|
| |
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
