(a) the date on which the last census of people living Below Poverty Line (BPL) was conducted at National and State level especially in Jharkhand;
(b) the outcome of the said census conducted at National and State level;
(c) whether the Government proposes to conduct census of such people again;
(d) if so, the time by which it is likely to be done; and
(e) if not, the reasons therefor?
MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT
(SHRI RAM KRIPAL YADAV)
(a) : The Ministry of Rural Development provides financial and technical support to the States/UTs for conducting census to identify the deprivation and poverty of households in the rural areas who could be targeted under its programmes. The last BPL Census for the Tenth Five Year Plan period was conducted in 2002. In place of BPL Census, the Government of India launched a combined Socio Economic and Caste Census (SECC) in 2011 to generate a large number of social and economic indicators for ranking of households across the country for both rural and urban areas which involved the Ministry of Rural Development, the Ministry of Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation and the Office of the Registrar General and Census Commissioner. The issue of identification of beneficiary households under various schemes in rural and urban areas comes under the purview of Ministry of Rural Development and Ministry of Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation (HUPA) respectively. The subject matter of Caste Census comes under the purview of Office of the Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India, Ministry of Home Affairs.
(b) : State-wise number of rural BPL families as per the last BPL census conducted in 2002, including in the state of Jharkhand is given at Annexure.
(c) to (e): The Socio Economic and Caste Census, 2011 data are now being used by the Ministry of Rural Development and other Ministries for identification of beneficiaries under various schemes/programmes and there is no proposal in the Ministry at present to conduct the census again.
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