BHUBANESWAR: A latest study by Delhi-based Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) has belied the claims by the State government of poverty reduction in Odisha.
Even as the State government boasts of achieving a faster poverty reduction in last two decades, Odisha has been placed among bottom six states where the poverty reduction rate is below the national average.
CSE’s State of India’s Environment Report, 2022 released recently revealed the State has scored 41 out of 100 with respect to poverty eradication to be ranked 19th among 21 states. In fact, nine states have scored below the national average of 60 and the six poor performers with a score less than 50 included Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Chhattisgarh.
Odisha’s position has dropped significantly since 2018 when it had scored 59. The score was 47 in 2019. The State scored 42 in zero hunger, 45 in quality education, 46 in gender equality, 48 in decent work and economic growth, 46 in industry, innovation and infrastructure and 67 in good health and well-being.
“Odisha has slipped by 18 points between 2018 and 2020 on its goal to end poverty. The State has also been featured in the list of worst performers as far as ending hunger and malnutrition is concerned,” said a CSE official quoting the SDG India Index 2020-21.
As per the public interest research and advocacy organisation, the State is now behind its neighbours including West Bengal (59), Andhra Pradesh (81) and Telangana (68).
Odisha’s rank dropped primarily because of major challenges in 11 SDGs including poverty, zero hunger, good health and wellbeing, gender equality, and economic growth. It also performed poorly in dealing with quality education, industry and infrastructure.
The State has, however, fared well in climate action (ranked one) and life on land (ranked third). The score has been calculated on six major indicators including percentage of population living below poverty line, head count ratio as per multi-dimensional poverty index, households with any usual member covered by health scheme or health insurance, persons provided employment under MGNREGS, population receiving social protection benefits and households living in kutcha houses.
Executive Director (research and advocacy) of CSE Anumita Roychowdhury said most of the targets are quite realistic, and though the pandemic can be blamed for some of the missed deadlines, others could have been achieved. “We must introspect on why we fail to achieve targets that are necessary to secure a sustainable future,” she said.
The Economic Survey Report 2020-21 indicated that the State reduced poverty by 24.6 pc since 2004-05. Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had claimed poverty has come down from 63 pc to 29 pc in recent years. Last year, he had announced to reduce it by 10 pc more in the next five years.