"There is no proposal to discontinue subsidies to the farm sector. However, there is a need to review certain aspects of subsidies that tend to distort cropping patterns and could also have damaging effects on natural resources", Minister of State for Planning M V Rajsekharan told the Rajya Sabha.
Regarding poverty, he said, according to the latest World Bank report during 1999-2000, 34.7 percentage of the population in India were living on less than $1.08 a day at 1993 international prices.
It implies that 34.7 crore people of India were living below poverty Line, according to International Poverty Line of US during 1999-2000, he said.
The government is also working to enact 'Unorganised Sector Workers Bill 2004' for the welfare of the unorganised sector workers in the country with the objective to regulate the employment and conditions of service and to provide for their safety, social security, health and welfare measures, he said, adding details of the draft Bill are at the stage of consultation with the concerned authorities.