Question : SOCIO - ECONOMIC AND CASTE CENSUS

(a) the present status of the Socio-economic and Caste Census of 2011 and the likely date of the release of the outcome of the census;

(b) whether the Government is aware that due to delays in completing the census, hardships are being faced by various States in extending benefits under various welfare schemes;

(c) if so, whether necessary instructions would be issued to the Department/agencies concerned to extend the deadline for implementing the welfare schemes based on the census; and

(d) if so, the time period proposed for completion of this process?

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT (SHRI UPENDRA KUSHWAHA)

(a) Socio Economic and Caste Census 2011 is conducted in six stages viz. enumeration, supervision, verifications & corrections, draft list publication, claims and objections and final list publication. Enumeration, supervision and verification & correction stages have been completed by most of the States/UTs. Some of the States/UTs are in the process of Verification & Correction and `Draft List` publication. `Draft List` has been published in 251 districts in 20 states of Assam, Bihar, Chandigarh, Goa, Gujarat, Jharkhand, Jammu & Kashmir, Karnataka, Kerala, Meghalaya, Manipur, Mizoram, Punjab, Sikkim, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal including in the four States/UTs where the `Claims & Objections` process is over. Considering the progress made by the States/UTs in conducting the census, completion of the census operation is likely to take at least 3 more months.

(b) Presently, benefits under the various welfare schemes of the Government of India are extended to the beneficiaries as per the BPL list prepared on the basis of the BPL census 2002. So far, no communication has been received from the States/UTs regarding any hardship in extending benefits under the various welfare schemes.

(c) In view of para(b) above, there is no need to issue instructions.

(d) At least three more months would still be required to complete the process of the SECC 2011.