Kharge accuses the Center of being “election-inspired” in the Household Consumption Expenditure Survey

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Tuesday criticized the Center for issuing a Household Consumption Expenditure Survey that was “election-inspired” and insisted that a census be carried out as soon as possible to get correct data.

After ten years of “deep sleep,” the Modi administration has finally released a “election-inspired” study on public spending and income, according to a post by Kharge on ‘X’ in Hindi.

“The Modi government has made an unsuccessful attempt to pat itself on the back in the survey,” he said.

Our only request is that accurate information be provided, the 2021 census be completed as quickly as feasible, and it must include a caste census. The Congress leader said, “The Congress party would undoubtedly complete it as soon as its administration is constituted.

Kharge questioned why the lowest five percent of rural India’s population was only spending Rs 46 a day, given that the country seemed to be as wealthy as the Household Consumption Expenditure Survey indicates.

“Why did the lowest five percent of households get just Rs 68 per month in benefits from government schemes? Did the friends of capitalism get the leftover benefits?Why does the average monthly income in rural India exceed that of farmers? The Congress representative questioned, “Why has the Modi government continued to brag about the success of the Ujjwala scheme, but the fuel expenditure of rural families has reduced by only 1.5%?”

“Citing the survey report, NITI Aayog officials are saying poverty in India is now only five per cent, but according to another report of the Multi-Dimensional Poverty Index of the same NITI Aayog, the poverty figure is 11.28 per cent,” Kharge said.

He posed the question, “Why is the Modi government making fun of the poor?” noting that both surveys are for 2022–2023. “Modi ji, please do not lower the reputation of India’s universally recognised data collection and surveys…,” he said.

Kharge quotes experts as saying that the government may alter the standards by which the survey’s data on food inflation is measured. “Is this not an attempt to hide back-breaking inflation with fake data,” said the man.

“Is it not true that the Modi government admitted in a PIB press release that the Advisory Committee?” Kharge further questioned. Why did National Accounts Statistics reject its proposal to make 2017–18 the GDP base year?” “Did the Modi government want to take electoral advantage of the GDP Base Year and hide the real facts,” he said.

According to Kharge, what’s unexpected is that this Household Consumption Expenditure Survey should have been called after either the 69th or the 70th round; yet, the name of the survey has been purposefully left unclear.

He said that this was done to ensure that data alteration remained undiscovered.