SRINAGAR: Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo on Wednesday reviewed the status of the Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) in Jammu and Kashmir and outlined a framework for further reducing poverty through targeted interventions and convergence of welfare schemes.
Chairing a high-level meeting, Dulloo directed the Planning Department to identify vulnerable households across districts, initially focusing on families covered under the Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY), to facilitate outcome-based interventions and improve socio-economic indicators.
He asked the department to analyse updated data from the forthcoming National Family Health Survey (NFHS-6) and prepare district-specific action plans aimed at improving indicators related to health, education and standard of living.
The Chief Secretary observed that several Centrally Sponsored Schemes, including the National Food Security Act, Ayushman Bharat, housing schemes, the Ujjwala Yojana and financial inclusion programmes, are already helping address multiple dimensions of poverty. He stressed the need for greater convergence of these schemes and additional support through capital expenditure wherever necessary.
Dulloo also directed the Planning Department to develop a standardised survey format for district-level assessment of vulnerable households and work closely with district administrations to identify gaps and priority intervention areas.
Additional Chief Secretary Finance Shailendra Kumar advised districts to incorporate poverty reduction initiatives into their annual development plans and focus on AAY households for more targeted interventions.
Commissioner Secretary, Planning, Development and Monitoring Department, R. Alice Vaz informed the meeting that the Multidimensional Poverty Index measures deprivation beyond income and serves as an important policy tool for poverty reduction.
She said the current estimates are based on NFHS-5 data released in 2023, while NFHS-6 is under finalisation and will provide updated insights into poverty levels across the country.
The meeting was informed that Jammu and Kashmir’s multidimensional poverty headcount ratio declined significantly from 12.56 per cent in 2015-16 to 4.80 per cent during 2019-21, with more than 10.45 lakh people moving out of multidimensional poverty during the period.
Officials said the Union Territory is on track to achieve Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) target 1.2, which seeks to reduce multidimensional poverty by at least half before 2030. Improvements have been recorded across all 12 indicators used to measure multidimensional poverty.
Among districts, Doda, Ramban, Rajouri, Poonch and Udhampur registered the steepest declines in poverty levels. Rural areas witnessed substantial improvement, with multidimensional poverty falling from 16.37 per cent to 6.10 per cent, while urban poverty declined from 3.51 per cent to 1.09 per cent.
The intensity of poverty also improved, declining from 44.17 per cent to 42.11 per cent, indicating better access to services and improved living standards among vulnerable households.
According to NFHS-5 estimates for 2019-21, around 6.39 lakh people belonging to 1.28 lakh families in Jammu and Kashmir were living in multidimensional poverty.
District-wise analysis showed Ramban recording the highest multidimensional poverty ratio at 14.86 per cent, followed by Reasi (11.40 per cent), Kishtwar (10.59 per cent), Udhampur (10.23 per cent) and Rajouri (8.07 per cent), highlighting the need for focused interventions in these districts.
At the other end, Jammu recorded the lowest poverty ratio at 0.49 per cent, followed by Srinagar (1.34 per cent), Shopian (1.54 per cent), Pulwama (2.09 per cent) and Samba (2.30 per cent).
In terms of absolute numbers, Baramulla accounted for the highest number of multidimensionally poor people, followed by Udhampur, Rajouri, Kupwara and Ramban, underscoring the need for district-specific poverty reduction strategies.
The meeting also reviewed the contribution of various welfare programmes and noted that interventions in health, education, housing, livelihoods, social protection and financial inclusion have collectively played a significant role in improving living standards and reducing deprivation across Jammu and Kashmir.
