She said fixing poverty line was always a challenging and difficult process, but its aim should not be of painting an artificial picture.
Expressing concern over the Centre's proposed norms for assessment of poverty line, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati Monday asked Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to reconsider the same and increase the limit.
"It is almost impossible for a poor person to meet the ends for a meager amount of Rs32 per day in urban area and Rs26 per day in rural area," Mayawati said in a letter written to the Prime Minister.
"This limit should be raised," she demanded.
The chief minister said fixing poverty line was always a challenging and difficult process, but its aim should not be of painting an artificial picture.
To separate poor from prosperous, several changes have been made in domestic commodities and services related to line by the Tendulkar Committee, she said.
"It seems that norm of 2,100 calories per person per day in urban area and 2,499 calories per day per person in rural areas has been reduced considerably, though new assessment like health, education and footwear have been included," Mayawati said.
By hiding expenses on edible items a large section of poor in the country would be affected which would be unjust and unfair, she said.
The CM said the proposed norm would directly affect the poor and weaker sections and they would be deprived from various programmes of the state which aim towards poverty alleviation and improving their socio-economic condition.
Referring to her government's Mukhamantri Mahamaya Gareeb Arthik Madad Yojna, she said Rs400 per month was being provided to each of the 25 lakh poor families.
"They are those, who are not covered under the PDS and are not getting any benefit. This is due to wrong estimates of poverty index," she said.
Mayawati said that it was necessary that the Centre should reconsider and take measures so that number of poor is reduced to half by 2015 as per millennium development goals.
She said that the Centre should also consult the state so that all strategies of poverty alleviation become relevant for the economically deprived sections.
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