05 February 2004	Thursday	13 Zilhaj 1424

LAHORE, Feb 4: Poverty in the Punjab, which has about 58.7 per cent poor of the country, has grown far more rapidly than any other province during the period between 1993 and 1999.

Contrary to the common perception, poverty in the Punjab has grown at an alarming rate of 51 per cent during the period 1993-99 which compares to the national average of 42 per cent.

According to the Asian Development Bank, the incidence of poverty grew in the Punjab from 25.9 per cent in 1993 to 33 per cent in 1999. "And there's nothing to suggest any improvement in the situation since 1999," a senior ADB official had told a gathering here only a few months back.

During the same period, poverty in Sindh grew to 26.6 per cent from 24.1 per cent (at a rate of 30 per cent), and in the NWFP to 42.6 per cent from 35.5 per cent (at a rate of 43 per cent). The situation in Balochistan nevertheless slightly improved as it went down to 22.8 per cent in 1999 from 28.6 per cent in 1993.

The statistics show that the number of people living below the poverty line in the Punjab in 1999 had increased to 25.9 million from 17.2 million in 1993. In Sindh, the number of the poor swelled to 8.6 million from 6.6 million during the same period. The NWFP had eight million poor in 1999 as compared to 5.6 million in 1993. In Balochistan, the number of the poor came down to 1.6 million from 1.7 million.

The statistics further show that the Punjab had 58.7 per cent poor of the country in 1999 as compared to 55.3 per cent in 1993. But, on the other hand, the number of the poor living in Sindh in relation with their total (countrywide) population has dropped to 19.5 per cent from 21.2 per cent, while in Balochistan to 3.6 per cent from 5.5 per cent. The number of the poor in the NWFP has, however, increased to 18.2 per cent as compared to 18 per cent in ratio to their national population.

The finance ministry's Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper shows that the incidence of poverty in the rural areas of the Punjab was 32.4 per cent in 1999 as compared to 26.5 per cent in its urban areas.

Similarly, 44.3 per cent rural population of the NWFP is poor as compared to 31.2 per cent urban population. In Sindh, 29.2 per cent of its rural population is poor. Incidence of poverty in urban centres of the province is 19 per cent.

Balochistan, however, has more poor living in its cities than its rural areas. Incidence of poverty in urban areas is 28.4 per cent as compared to 24.6 per cent in its rural areas.

The rapid increase in the incidence of poverty in the Punjab is in line with the lowest per capita total expenditure in the province in comparison with other three federating units.According to the budgetary estimates for 2003-04, the Punjab will spend around Rs2,100 per person as compared to Rs3,300 by Sindh and Rs3,200 by the NWFP. Balochistan will spend slightly more than Rs5,000 per person during this year.

As far as per capita development expenditure by the provinces is concerned, the Punjab and Sindh will spend almost the same amount of around Rs400 per person during the current fiscal year. This compares to over Rs800 and Rs1,400 per person to be spent on development by the NWFP and Balochistan.

The budgetary figures indicate that Punjab's per capita expenditure on the provision of services, subsidies and grants is the lowest than other provinces, while its investment in education and hospital infrastructure lags far behind the other federating units.