Welfare schemes improved 22 crore lives, West Bengal biggest beneficiary

A recent study by statisticians from the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) reveals that the standard of living for 40.5% of people in West Bengal has improved due to the government's welfare schemes. This is the highest proportion among major states, with Chhattisgarh and Assam following at 29.2% and 29% respectively. Nationwide, around 22 crore people experienced an improvement in their living standards due to in-kind social transfers, with 15.8% of the population seeing higher levels of living.

The study, titled 'Impact of in-kind social transfer on level of living of Indian households,' analyzed data from the 2022-23 Household Consumption Expenditure Survey (HCES). It compared changes in households' Monthly Per Capita Consumption Expenditure fractile classes with and without factoring in free or subsidized goods like foodgrains, laptops, bicycles, and school uniforms.

The researchers note that if a household moves up a consumption fractile class after including the estimated value of in-kind transfers in their expenditure, it signifies that the intended benefits have reached the targeted beneficiaries, leading to an improved level of living. For instance, in rural areas, 18.8% of the population saw an improvement, while in urban areas, it was 8.4%.

The majority of the upward movement in both rural and urban India occurred in the bottom three consumption fractile classes, reflecting the progressive nature of the social transfers, which were intended for the poor.