‘Orissa still one of the poorest states’

Express News Service , 12 Feb 2009

BHUBANESWAR: The BJD-BJP Government's claim of making rapid strides in industrialisation notwithstanding, the State continued to have the dubious distinction of being one of the poorest in the country.

As per the poverty estimate of the Planning Commission, the State topped the list with high incidence of poverty. While 39.90 per cent of the population of the State was living below the poverty line in 2004-05, Bihar is placed second with 32.50 per cent BPL families.

Although, the latest estimate of the Planning Commission said that 34 per cent of the State’s population is BPL, the economic survey for 2008-09 released by the Government today has BPL figures till 2004-05. The reasons attributed to the large scale poverty in the State are recurring natural calamities, uneven economic growth leading to regional imbalance, lack of irrigation facilities and quality infrastructure.

Although the State Government has been pursuing various strategies to eradicate poverty, the results of the poverty alleviation programmes are not satisfactory, the economic survey said.

A disproportionately large proportion of Scheduled Tribes and Scheduled Castes population in western and southern Orissa are still living precariously with very low economic base.

Rural poverty in the State is the highest in the country. Though the State recorded significant growth in food grains production during the last couple of years, agriculture growth is much lower than the national average. While majority of the population depends on agriculture, lack of assured irrigation has failed the farmers.

A large number of rural communities particularly in hilly terrains of western and southern regions of the State are physically excluded for want of connectivity and other infrastructure, the survey said.

Increasing unemployment is another main reason for poverty. The growing joblessness among the educated youth is a matter of serious concern for the Government and this calls for high level of investment to create gainful employment, the survey suggested.