The beggar above poverty line

I pass by this young, crippled beggar boy almost everyday and I know that he gets more than rupees 32 a day. That doesn't make him any better than those who don't, because he sits in the sun all day, begs with cries for mercy and eats little. He has no capacity within himself to access the Public Distribution System. So even if he has Rupees 32 in his lap, he cannot be considered above poverty line. Poverty like his, eats into the very soul of a person. We need a serious rethink on the methodology of measurement of poverty in our country.

Looking at this boy's condition, I am inclined to believe the survey that was published in the news about Mumbai beggars who were found to be above poverty line. We need to reassess whether the poverty line basket that we have decided to follow is enough to indicate the ground realities.

I would still appreciate the government for taking the courage to revisit the issue of poverty line, it being a scary topic to talk about for any government. I also appreciate the government for being transparent about the methodology used for this.

This debate over the poverty line may have, in the beginning, made the government sound ridiculous, but in the larger picture we have an administration that dares to visit a tough issue and tries to do its best.