MINISTER OF STATE FOR PLANNING, SCIENCE & TECHNOLGY AND EARTH SCIENCES (DR. ASHWANI KUMAR)
(a)& (b): The last BPL Census was conducted in 2002. Some of the States raised the
issue of non-inclusion of poor in the BPL lists. The Ministry of Rural Development
constituted an Expert Group which could advise the Ministry on the methodology for
conducting the BPL census for the Eleventh Five Year Plan under the Chairmanship
of Dr. N. C. Saxena. The Expert Group submitted its report in August, 2009.
Based on the suggestions/ recommendations of the Expert Group and consultations
with the State Governments/ UT Administration and other stakeholders, the
Government decided to collect information on socio economic indicators for
identification of poor. A Socio Economic Caste Census (SECC 2011) based on the
recommendations of the Saxena Committee for rural and Hashim Committee for
urban areas has been launched on 29th June, 2011 in the country which is being
carried out by the State/ Union Territory Administrations.
(c) & (d): In their Joint Statement issued on 3rd October, 2011, Deputy Chairman,
Planning Commission and Union Minister of Rural Development clarified that the Government
of India will take into account multiple dimensions of deprivation based
on the indicators that are being collected through the SECC, 2011 for arriving a
specific entitlements that rural households will receive under various central
government programmes and schemes.
The present state-wise poverty estimates using the Planning Commission methodology will
not be used to impose any ceilings on the number of households to be included in different
government programmes and schemes. The eligibility and entitlements of households in the
country for different central government programmes and schemes will be determined after the
SECC, 2011 survey results are available and have been analysed. The Union Ministry of
Rural Development and the Planning Commission will consult with states, experts
and civil society organizations to arrive at a consensus on the methodology by the
time the SECC, 2011 is completed. This methodology will seek to ensure that no poor
or deprived household will be excluded from coverage under different government
programmes and schemes.
Government has since decided to set up a Technical Group to revisit the methodology
for estimation of poverty and identification of poor taking into account multiple
dimensions and indicators of poverty so that the poor and deprived households can
obtain the benefit of different government programmes and schemes.
The composition of the Technical Group and its terms of reference are being finalized.
