Leading economists have flayed the national poverty lines set by the Planning Commission at Rs 32 and Rs 26 per capita, per day for urban and rural areas, respectively.

In a statement, released here on Monday, the economists said it was counterproductive to link the official poverty estimates to basic entitlements of the people, especially access to food.

The number of poor and hungry people in the country remains unacceptably large. Therefore, restoration of the universal public distribution system was the “best way forward” in combating hunger and poverty, the statement said.

“This is not only feasible within the available fiscal space of the Union Government but must be a policy priority in the backdrop of high and persistent food price inflation”, it added. The economists said it was clear by recent evidence that States that have moved towards near universalisation of PDS performed much better in increasing offtake and reducing leakages.

The statement was signed by 27 economists including former Dr Ashok Mitra, former West Bengal Finance Minister, Prof S. Subramanian, Madras Institute of Development Studies, Dr Amiya Kumar Bagchi, Director, Institute of Development Studies, Kolkata, Prof S. K Thorat, Chairman, Indian Council of Social Science Research, former UGC Chairman, Dr Yoginder K Alagh, Dr S Mahendra Dev, Director, Indira Gandhi Institute for Development Research, Mumbai, Professors Jayati Ghosh and Prabhat Patnaik of JNU among others.

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