Over 20 crore Indians moved out of extreme poverty in the past decade: Lanka Dinakar

The Hindu

a day ago

Extreme poverty in India has plummeted from 16.2% in 2011–12 to just 2.3% in 2022–23, thanks to welfare-centric governance under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, said Lanka Dinakar, Chairman of the 20-Point Programme Implementation Committee. He was addressing a press conference at the State Secretariat on Monday.
Citing global assessments that forecast further decline in poverty levels, Mr. Dinakar said more than 20 crore people have escaped extreme poverty over the past decade. He attributed this progress to flagship initiatives like Jan Dhan Yojana, which enabled direct benefit transfers of over ₹45 lakh crore to 55 crore bank accounts — effectively eliminating middlemen and leakages.
Highlighting the Centre's targeted development strategy, Mr. Dinakar noted the identification of Aspirational Districts — including Alluri Sitharama Raju, Parvathipuram Manyam, and YSR Kadapa in Andhra Pradesh — as a transformative move. These districts are receiving focused attention through the convergence of Central and State schemes along with Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) funds.
Performance-based monitoring
He said the double-engine government of Andhra Pradesh, under Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu and Deputy CM K. Pawan Kalyan, is committed to accelerating development. As part of the Viksit Bharat – Swarna Andhra 2047vision, the State will soon begin performance-based monitoring of 'Aspirational Blocks' and 'Districts' across 49 key indicators spanning health, education, agriculture, financial inclusion, and infrastructure. 'This approach will foster healthy competition among districts, eliminate regional disparities, and place Andhra Pradesh on a fast-track development path,' Mr. Dinakar added.