KATHMANDU, Aug 18: Province No. 6 and 2 have severe poverty among six federal provinces that are under discussion.
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Eight eastern Tarai districts, which were affected by the Tarai Movement of 2007, fall in Province No. 2, whereas all the districts in Province No. 6, which are demanding unified-far west, are far below the national poverty level.
Out of eight districts in Province No. 2, six fall below the poverty line, whereas all the 19 districts in Province No. 6 fall below poverty line.
According to Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS), a person having average income below Rs 19,261 is defined as poor. A person earning under Rs 53 per day comes under national poverty line, as per the Nepal Living Standard Survey 2010/11 conducted by CBS.
Province No. 1 is the richest compared to other provinces. Only 17.96 percent of the population of Province No. 1 is below poverty line.
Similarly, 20.33 percent of population in Province No. 3 falls under the poverty line. Likewise, 19.21 percent of the population falls under poverty line in Province No. 4 and 25.64 percent of the population of Province No. 5 are below the poverty line. But Province No. 2 has 27.95 percent of population under poverty line and Province No. 6 has 42.23 of the population -- the highest among six provinces -- under the poverty line.
Economist Keshav Acharya blames short-sightedness of political leaders for unscientific demarcation of federal provinces. “Political leaders have federated the country not on the basis of their economic strength and viability but for their own benefits”” he said, adding that the leaders just want to have their political career secured, not the country’s future.
Nepal Small Area Estimates of Poverty-2011 report also indicates that districts in Province No. 2 have not fared well economically in recent past. Of the total 25 prosperous districts a decade ago, 11 -- Parsa, Dhanusha, Saptari, Siraha, Bara, Rautahat, Manang, Myagdi and Jumla -- have fallen down to the poorest category. Parsa, Dhanusha, Saptari, Siraha, Bara, Rautahat are among the eight districts of Province No. 2.
The Tarai-Madhesh Movement of 2007 and the political apathy of Tarai-Madhesh leaders have damaged economy of these districts.
Kathmandu was the most prosperous district according to Nepal Small Estimates of Poverty-2001. But Nepal Small Estimates of Poverty-2011 report states that Kaski is the most prosperous district of the country, whereas Bajura is the poorest.
CBS conducted Nepal Small Estimates of Poverty-2011 study with technical assistance of World Bank. The study has not only mapped poverty in small areas across the country but also mapped the gap between rich and poor and severity of poverty in all 75 districts.
Despite having huge natural resources and immense tourism potential, 19 districts of Province No. 6 are under the poverty line. Acharya said all the castes in Province No.6 are poor compared to other districts, but in Province No. 2 poverty concentration is on lower castes. ““The concentration of poverty is higher in lower castes in Tarai-Madhesh”” he said, explaining that the Hills lower caste are better off compared to Tarai-Madhesh lower caste populace also due to political indifference.
Not only poverty, rich-poor gap and severity of poverty is higher in both Province No. 2 and 6.
According to Nepal Small Area Estimates of Poverty- 2011 report, Bajura is the poorest district - in the country - with 64.1 percent people under poverty line, followed by Kalikot (58 percent), Bajhang (57 percent), Humla (56 percent) and Darchula (53 percent). The poorest five districts fall in Province No. 6.
Likewise, Saptari, which is in Province No. 2, is the poorest district in Tarai-Madhesh. Some 39.5 percent of Saptari earn less than Rs 53 in a day.
