Lok Sabha Question No. 1580 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2017-03-09
Subject: Identification of BPL Persons
Ministry: RURAL DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: GOPAL CHINAYYA SHETTY

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1580 TO BE ANSWERRED ON 09.03.2017

## IDENTIFICATION OF BPL PERSONS

## 1580.    SHRI GOPAL SHETTY

Will the Minister of RURAL DEVELOPMENT be pleased to state:

- ( a) whether there is any provision for conducting cen sus of poor persons in the country a whether the Government updates these figures on the basis of poverty estimate by the National Sample Survey Organization (NSSO);
- ( b) if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons thereof;
- ( c) whether the criteria adopted to differentiate between the persons living below and those belonging to middle classes are very wide and if so, the details t not, the reasons therefor;
- ( d) whether  any  mechanism  has  been  evolved  or  adopt ed  to  identify  those  Below  Poverty Line(BPL) persons who have upgraded to Above Poverty Line(APL)status and if s details thereof;
- ( e) whether  the  Government  has  set  any  target  to  alleviate  poverty  and  has assessment in this regard; and
- ( f ) if so, th e achievements made by the Government in this regard so far?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT

## (SHRI RAM KRIPAL YADAV)

( a) to  (d):    The  erstwhile  Planning  Commission(now  NITI  Aayog )  used  monthly  per  capita consumption  expenditure  (MPCE)  data  from  the  Large  Sample  Surveys  on  Household  Cons Expenditure  carried  out  by  the  National  Sample  Survey  Office  (NSSO)  as  criteria  fo poverty line that separates poor from the non - poor to estimate poverty. The poverty lines for 20 - 12 have been computed following the Tendulkar methodology according to which the national line is estimated at Rs. 816 per capita per month for rural areas and Rs.1000 per capi urbanareas in 2011 - 12.

The Ministry of Rural Development conducted a combined Socio Economic and C Census (SECC) in 2011 to generate a large number of socio and economic indicators for households across the country for both rural & urban areas. SECC 2011 provides data on households regarding  various  aspects  of  their  socio - econ mic  status -housing,  land - holding/landlessness, educational  status,  status  of  women,  differently  abled,  occupation,  possession  of househ olds,  incomes,  etc. Ministryof  Rural  Development  is  using  SECC  2011  data  for  select beneficiaries for its programmes/schemes. SECC 2011 data captures respondent based disclosures socio  economic  status  of 17.97  crore rural  households  which  has  allowe d  automatic  exclusion of07.07 crore (39.34 %) of households as not poor on the basis of 13 parameters, automati of 0.16 crore (0.89%) households as poorest of the poor on the basis of 5 parameters a deprivation of 8.70 crore (48.41 %) of rural households on the basis of seven parameters.

(e)  to (f): The Ministry of Rural Development, inter alia, is implementing Mahatma Gan Rural Employment Guarantee Act, National Rural Livelihoods Mission, Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana, Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana and National Social Assistance Programme in rural areas of the country through State Governments and UT Administrations. The objectives of these p are    to  bring  about  overall  improvement  in  the  quality  of  life in  rural  areas  through  employment generation, development of rural infrastructure and provision of other basic amenities.

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