Tibet's impoverished population down 60 pct from 2010

LHASA - The poverty-stricken population in Southwest China's Tibet autonomous region will be cut by 60 percent from 2010 levels by the end of this year, said a regional official on Wednesday.

Half a million people will have been lifted out of poverty from 2011 to 2014 in the region, said Hu Xinsheng, head of the Tibet Poverty Alleviation Office.

The region will continue to improve the accuracy and efficiency of poverty reduction efforts, said Hu.

According to the country's current poverty line of 2,300 yuan ($375), Tibet had 830,000 impoverished people at the end of 2010. Those living in poverty made up 34.4 percent of the total population in the region's farming and pastoral areas, which was the highest poverty rate in China.

In 2014, the region aims to help 130,000 people out of poverty with an investment of 1.7 billion yuan from the central and regional governments.

As part of one major poverty alleviation project, 100,000 farmers and herders have moved to new houses. The region invested 550 million yuan in the housing project, which started in 2011.

Under the project, each household received government subsidies ranging from 12,000 yuan to 25,000 yuan to build new houses. Many lived under poor sanitary conditions in the past as their homes also housed livestock.

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