Government says, it will revisit the poverty estimates and identify the poor. Addressing a press conference in New Delhi on Thursday the Minister of State for Planning Ashwini Kumar said the methodology for estimating poverty will be revisited in consistent with the current realities. He disclosed that a decision had already been taken to set up a Technical Group for this purpose.

Ashwini Kumar said that poverty must be predicated on earnings that can satisfy the basic human needs to ensure a life of dignity for all. He said that Technical Group will take into consideration the data of socio economic and caste census 2011 and Hashim Committee report.

Ashwini Kumar said that sharp edges of poverty have been substantially blunted as a result of the various policies and schemes for the empowerment of the poor. But he said that poverty estimates need to be reviewed from time to time reflecting the basis needs of the people.