Kolkata, Feb 16: A study by some non-profit organisations has claimed that nearly 40 per cent of rural Muslim families in West Bengal have to survive within Rs 2,500 a month.
About 80 per cent of the Muslim households in rural West Bengal report their income as Rs 5,000 or less per month, which is close to the cut-off level of income for poverty line for a family of five, the study ‘Living Reality of Muslims in West Bengal’, which was released by Nobel laureate Amartya Sen yesterday, said.
“What is even more striking is that 38.3 per cent Muslim households in rural West Bengal earn Rs 2,500 or less per month, which is one-half of the cut-off level of income for the population below the poverty line,” said the report, prepared by SNAP, Guidance Guild and Pratichi Trust, which is chaired by Sen himself.
The study was carried out in 325 villages and 73 urban wards from a sample of 81 community development blocks and 30 municipal bodies across Bengal.
At the other end of the spectrum, it said only 3.8 per cent households reported to earn Rs 15,000 and above per month.
The report said the recent Census data show a decreasing trend in growth among the Muslim population across the state.
The community constitute 27 per cent of total population of the state.
“It is evident from our primary survey that 13.2 per cent adults (of the community) do not hold voter cards,” the report added.
