Liberalisation of the economy notwithstanding, two-third of Indians blame economic growth for the widening divide between the rich and the poor, according to a survey.
Almost 63 per cent of people believe that poverty, slums and urban squalor would continue to dominate the landscape even after 20 to 25 years from now, the survey, presented at a roundtable on tracking the progress of millennium development goals, said.
The survey revolving around poverty-related issues covered 5,000 people across the country.
Two third of them said that 'poverty is that one thing that brings down India's image'.
Wider rich-poor gap: Most Indians blame growthThe participants deliberated on the successes achieved in different sectors including reducing poverty and bringing improvement in the health sector in the country as envisaged in the MDGs.
Attended by stakeholders from different voluntary organisations, the meeting also sought to bring forth key issue which could be taken up at the ensuing United Nations summit in New York in September 20-22, being attended by heads of states to review progress of the MDGs.
The survey said that 60 per cent Indians think the extent of poverty in the country could be more than 50 per cent while one third said that poverty is underestimated in India and government should spent more to alleviate poverty.
More than six out of ten feel that government should distribute free food to prevent abject poverty, the survey said.
Launched in 2001, the MDGs are eight international development goals, including reducing extreme poverty, that all the 192 UN member States have agreed to achieve by the year 2015.
At the New York summit, each country will be required to present its action plan to meet targets.
