Question : BPL CENSUS

(a) whether a census on the basis of socio-economic condition and caste is being conducted jointly for rural and urban areas since June, 2011 to identify the people living Below Poverty Line (BPL);

(b) if so, the details thereof;

(c) the funds allocated, released and spent by the Government in this regard during the last three years and the current year, State/UT and year- wise along with the technology adopted in this regard; and

(d) the present status of the said census and the time by which the same is likely to be completed?

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

(a) 8c (b): Yes, Madam. The Socio Economic and Caste Census (SECC 2011) was launched in June 2011 in the country which is being conducted through a comprehensive programmes and involves Ministry of Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation, Office of the Registrar General and Census Commissioner, India and State Governments/UT Administrations for determining the eligibility under various poverty alleviation schemes. The SECC 2011 is being carried out by the respective State/Union Territory Government with the financial and technical support of the Government of India.

(c): The Expenditure Finance Committee (EFC) has approved the expenditure of Rs.3543.29 crore for various activities under the Socio Economic and Caste Census, 2011 (SECC, 2011). Out of this, an amount of Rs.3543 Cr. had been allocated and released to the States/UTs, CPSUs, etc., up to the Financial Year 2013-14. During the current Financial Year, an amount of Rs.577 Cr. has been allocated, against which Rs.192.23 Cr. has been provisioned under the Vote of Account. From this amount, Rs.20.21 Cr. has been released up to July, 2014. The SECC 2011 is done with the help of handheld devices called the Tablet PC for the first time.

(d): The 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. `Draft List` has been published in 261 districts in 21 states of Assam, Andhra Pradesh Bihar, Chandigarh, Diu & Daman, Goa, Gujarat, Haryana, Jammu & Kashmir, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala, Lakshadweep, Meghalaya, Manipur, Mizoram, Nagaland, Punjab, Sikkim, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal as on 1st August, 2014. 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.