Dear Editor,
The most common approach to target poverty is based on income or consumption levels. This level is called the poverty line, which can vary according to the geographical context, social norms and values. There is currently a worldwide debate on the yardstick to identify the poor. Nevertheless, poverty has other dimensions, besides income and consumption. It is necessary to include non-income poverty dimensions like education, health and access to infrastructure, vulnerability, social exclusion and access to social capital. No matter what target strategy is adopted, the government has to repair its ‘broken’ delivery system and ensure that the poor strata is benefited by its schemes and policies to bridge the prevailing inequalities.
Shalini Thakur
Jammu
