(a) whether a large number of people living below Below Poverty Line(BPL) category were left out in the last survey and are not getting benefit of Indira AwaasYojana (IAY);
(b) if so, whether there is any proposal to include them in the BPL list;
(c) if so, whether the Government proposes to increase the number of such beneficiaries in the country especially in West Bengal; and
(d) if so, the details thereof?
MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT (SHRI UPENDRA KUSHWAHA)
(a) & (b): No, Madam. The Ministry of Rural Development provides financial and technical support to the States/UTs for conducting the BPL Census to identify the families living Below Poverty Line in the rural areas who could be targeted under its programmes. The last BPL census was conducted in the year 2002. The States/UTs were at liberty to exercise flexibility to decide the cut-off scores for identifying the households into ‘Poor’ and Non-Poor’. The cut-off scores were decided after tabulating the data for the entire State/UT in such a way that the number of BPL households identified should be equal to the Poverty Estimate of 1999-2000 or the Adjusted Share computed by the Planning Commission whichever is higher. In addition, the States were also given flexibility of another 10% to account for the transient poor. Moreover, as per the Hon’ble Supreme Court’ Order dated 14.02.2006 in Writ Petition No. 196/2001 filed by the People’s Union of Civil Liberties
(PUCL), the Ministry has issued directions to all the States/UTs for inclusion of new names and deletion of ineligible names from the BPL list 2002 on a continuous basis during the period the list will be applicable.
(c): No, Madam.
(d): In view of para (c) above, does not arise.