(a) whether the Government proposes to conduct any survey with the help of some
community based organizations/Non-Governmental Organisations for identifying
the extremely poor persons in Maharashtra and other States, particularly in tribal
dominated areas;
(b) if so, the steps taken/proposed to be taken by the Government in this regard; and
(c) the time by which the said surveys are likely to be completed with regard to each
State?
MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT (SHRIMATI SURYAKANTA PATIL)
(a) to (c) There is no proposal at present in the Ministry to conduct any survey with the help of some community based organizations/ Non-Governmental Organisations for
identifying the extremely poor persons in different States. However, the Ministry of Rural Development provides financial and technical assistance to the States and Union
Territories to conduct the Below Poverty Line (BPL) Census to identify the families
living Below the Poverty Line in all the States and Union Territories including
Maharashtra (except Delhi and Chandigarh). The BPL Census is conducted after every
five years coinciding with the Five Year Plans. The Ministry had issued detailed
guidelines to conduct the BPL Census, 2002 for the Tenth Five Year Plan. However, the
results of BPL Census, 2002 could not be finalized because of the order passed by the
Hon`ble Supreme Court of India in Writ Petition (Civil) No.196 of 2001 in the matter of
PUCL Vs Union of India.