Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia says, the rate of poverty decline has been doubled during the rule of UPA Government.

Speaking to reporters in Hyderabad on the sidelines of a programme, Ahluwalia said before the year 2004, the poverty decline was 0.4 percent while it was 1.5 percent after the UPA Government took over.

He said the benefits like PDS and Education are not linked with the poverty line and the observations of Tendulkar Committee about Poverty Line were based on scientific study.

He disclosed that a Technical Expert Committee will be set up very soon to study the need for evolving a multi dimensional poverty line.

Earlier, Union Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh has formally launched the Prime Minister’s Rural Development Fellows Scheme by inaugurating a training programme for the newly inducted Fellows.

As many as 156 post graduates will work in 78 Maoist infested districts across nine states after the nine-week long training programme.

These Fellows will coordinate and evaluate the development programmes being implemented in the Maoist infested regions where the Integrated Action Plan is in force. Jairam Ramesh said the Government will be considering extension of the scheme to all other Tribal Areas of the country.