Bihar among select states in poverty reduction: Minister
Speaking to the reporters at the JD(U) office, Choudhary referred to the recently released World Bank report as proof of the public welfare policies pursued by the NDA govts at both the Centre and the state under the leadership of PM Narendra Modi and CM Nitish Kumar. "The economic condition of the poor has improved a lot due to the far-sighted policies of the government," the minister said.
In its 'Spring 2025 Poverty and Equity Brief', the World Bank acknowledged India's decisive efforts in combating poverty over the past decade, lifting 171 million people out of extreme poverty.
The report said that the proportion of people living on less than US$2.15 per day – the international benchmark for extreme poverty – declined steeply from 16.2% in 2011-12 to just 2.3% in 2022-23.
Further, according to the NITI Aayog's Multidimensional Poverty Index (2023), Bihar's poverty rate fell from 51.91% in 2015-16 to 33.76% in 2021-22. The report also stated that while Uttar Pradesh recorded the largest decline with 5.94 crore people escaping multidimensional poverty over the past nine years, Bihar followed with 3.77 crore people coming out of poverty since 2005-06.
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Taking a swipe at the RJD, Choudhary said "nothing could be more ridiculous than the party led by Lalu Prasad talking about dynasty politics in the state."
"The development of Bihar is being discussed not only across the country but also on global platforms, yet the opposition fails to recognise this progress. This reflects their narrow mindset," he added.
Food and consumer protection Minister Leshi Singh also criticised the opposition.
"They do not have any real issues, so they are resorting to baseless allegations. But the aware people of Bihar will foil their every move," she said.
Minority welfare minister Jama Khan said the positive impact of CM Nitish Kumar's initiatives for the welfare and upliftment of minority communities is clearly visible on the ground. "At the same time, the role of the opposition is now limited to spreading lies and confusion, which the public has understood well," he said.
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