OREANDA-NEWS. The development agenda of the Government is focused on triggering a development process which will meet the objective of not just faster economic growth but also inclusive growth, that is, a growth process which yields broad-based benefits and ensures equality of opportunity for all. In this regard the Government has initiated various measures to ameliorate the standard of living of the people and to benefit the people at the lower end of the income distribution through direct intervention by implementing specific poverty reduction and mitigation programmes.This includes Pradhan Mantri Jan-Dhan Yojana (PMJDY), Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS), National Rural Livelihoods Mission (NRLM), National Urban Livelihoods Mission (NULM), Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM), Rajiv Awas Yojana (RAY), Indira Awas Yojana (IAY), National Health Mission (NHM), Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA), Rashtriya Madhyamic Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA), Mid-Day Meal Scheme (MDMS), Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS), Rajiv Gandhi National Drinking Water Mission (RGNDWM), National Social Assistance Programme (NSAP), Swachh Bharat Mission etc. These interventions are expected to yield better results over time in terms of reduction in the gap between rich and poor and overall balanced development in the country. This information was given by the Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Planning, Shri Rao Inderjit Singh in a written reply in Rajya Sabha today.

The Minister said that in India, the data on class distribution of income is not compiled centrally. However, household consumption expenditure data collected by the National Sample Survey Office (NSSO) could be used as a proxy to capture the economic inequality in terms of consumption expenditure. As per the NSSO’s household consumer expenditure surveys the gap in the consumption expenditure share of richest 10 percent and bottom 40 percent has increased from 3.2% in 2004-05 to 6.5% in 2011-12.