HYDERABAD: Telangana performed exceptionally well as per the ‘National Multidimensional Poverty Index: A Progress Review 2023’ released in Delhi on Monday by Niti Aayog, as the percentage of poor reduced in the State in 2019-21, when compared with the 2015-16.
According to the report, the percentage of multidimensional poor in the State came down from 13.18% in 2015-16 to 5.88% in 2019-21.
Similarly, the poverty percentage came down to 2.52% from 4.21% now. Most significantly, the percentage of poor reduced even in districts like Asifabad. However, the percentage of poor is the highest in Asifabad (16.59%) and Jogulamba Gadwal (15.37%). The percentage of poor is less in Warangal and other urban areas. On the whole, India registered a significant decline of 9.89 percentage points in the number of multidimensionally poor, from 24.85% in 2015-16 to 14.96% in 2019-2021, according to the report.
Bihar, J’khand & Meghalaya top poverty charts
‘National Multidimensional Poverty Index: A Progress Review 2023’ claims that about 13.5 crore people came out of multidimensional poverty during the period, assessed by identifying “acute deprivations in health, education and standard of living” using UN-approved parameters.
The report said rural areas witnessed the fastest decline in poverty from 32.59% to 19.28%, primarily due to decrease in the number of multi-dimensionally poor in States such as Bihar, UP, MP, Odisha, and Rajasthan. Delhi, Kerala, Goa and Tamil Nadu have the least number of people facing multidimensional poverty along with the UTs. Bihar, Jharkhand, Meghalaya, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh top the chart where the percentage of total population who are multidimensionally poor is high.