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Methodology of the Planning Commission: It is roughly based on consumption
expenditure data from the large sample surveys on consumer expenditure, conducted
periodically by the National Sample Survey Organisation (NSSO). The link below
gives the figures for the country for 1999-2000
http://planningcommission.nic.in/reports/articles/ncsxna/ar_pvrty.htm
It is these numbers which put the rural poverty in Rajasthan at 13.74%. The
number comes to 11.89 lakh of the 86.54 lakh rural families, which is about
half of the BPL families identified in 1997 BPL survey.
http://www.hinduonnet.com/2002/11/03/stories/2002110301280700.htm
The centre has asked the state govts. to do the BPL survey upto an upper limit
of the number given by planning commission. It is against this number that the
state Govt. had to fight to get it increased to 17.36 lakhs.
http://www.hinduonnet.com/fline/fl2312/stories/20060630006701100.htm
is a very interesting article discussing BPL & PDS and the politics of numbers.
The food allocation for the PDS is made not on the poverty estimates of the
States but by those decided by the Planning Commission but the people to be
given the ration are identified through the state surveys.
BPL info in different states:
Kerala
http://www.uvt.nl/ivo/fulltext/DN03.pdf
A case study.
Opposing the norms set by the Center, the State Government had drawn up
some criteria for determining who was below the poverty line.
Sources:
http://www.hinduonnet.com/2002/12/20/stories/2002122003270400.htm
http://www.hindu.com/2006/01/06/stories/2006010611850400.htm
Maharastra
By Sept, 2006, a mammoth 2.5 lakh families have registered objections
with the administration, demanding to be included in the list, and objections
continue to flow in in Maharashtra's Vidarbha districts, which are in
the grip of a severe agricultural crisis. Some 20-25% of gram sabhas have
rejected the BPL lists of their villages prepared by government-appointed
surveyors.
Source:
http://www.infochangeindia.org/features382.jsp
Karnataka
On March 2006, The State Government Fair Price Shop Dealers Association
has taken exception to the "unscientific" manner in which the
Government carried out a re-survey of Below Poverty Line (BPL) families
in 2005. It has urged the Government to immediately stop distribution
of ration cards to the beneficiaries. It has requested that the provisional
lists be displayed in gram panchayats and taluk panchayats and people
should be given an opportunity to contest.
On Sept 25th, 2006 villagers, led by Karnataka Pranta Raitha Sangha staged
a dharna in Gulbarga district for new survey to issue ration cards. As
a result, on the 27th the Government announced opening of grievances cells
in all taluks to receive complaints and conduct a resurvey of the status
of the families. Nearly 40,000 complaints have been received at these
grievance cells in the first 2 days.
Source:
http://www.hindu.com/2006/03/08/stories/2006030815400300.htm
http://www.hindu.com/2006/09/26/stories/2006092604410300.htm
Bihar:
The new B.P.L lists were released in April, 2006. State Govt. acknowledged
that the new BPL lists was full of discrepancies and ordered re-survey
by students in June, 2006. The students were to be selected, trained and
paid Rs.100 per day for the survey. The Chief Minister set a deadline
of Sept 29th for the lists to be rectified and displayed in the Panchayats.
Sources:
http://www.tribuneindia.com/2006/20060621/nation.htm#4
http://www.hindu.com/2006/09/22/stories/2006092216430300.htm
Himachal
Himachal Pradesh
With a large number of complaints pouring in about the list of below the
poverty line (BPL) families under the revised parameters fixed by the
Centre, the state government has asked the Deputy Commissioners to hold
the general house of each panchayat by August 11 and seek objections from
the panchayats on the BPL list. The Govt. promised that all objections
will be considered before the final list is prepared.
Sources:
http://www.tribuneindia.com/2006/20060810/himachal.htm#1
Uttar Pradesh
http://cities.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=202471
About fixing the number of BPL families and going about their identification.
http://www.hindu.com/2006/09/27/stories/2006092710250500.htm
www.hindu.com/2006/09/25/stories/2006092513430500.htm
some related articles in other states.
Tamil Nadu
http://www.hindu.com/2006/07/31/stories/2006073121120300.htm
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