Chandigarh: A recent survey by the Haryana government found that nearly 71 percent of the population in the state is on the Below Poverty Line (BPL). This is despite the fact that Haryana’s per capita income is second across the country. The state government has now decided to probe the matter.
Notably, recent data published by the Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Department of the state, said that as many as 19,890,964 people (around 71 percent of the state’s population of 2.8 crore, have been figured under the Below Poverty Line (BPL) bracket. The state has capped the household income at Rs 1,80,000 for the BPL.
A total of 2,67,693 joined in the first 13 days of this month
As per the data available with the department, a total of 2,67,693 have joined the BPL bracket in 13 days of this month alone. Overall, a total of 2.02 million have been added to the BPL category this year. Earlier In December 2022, around 12.4 million people ( 44 percent) were classified as poor. This number has grown in the last two years, with a7.5 million more people now living in poverty, as per the government’s record.
‘Latest data may not show an exact picture of Haryana’
Analysts point out that the latest data may not depict the exact picture of Haryana’s poverty scenario. The BPL card in the state is issued based on the Parivar Pehchan Patra (PPP). Importantly. PPP is a family ID card, which contains a unique eight-digit number. It also contains details of the family, including names of the family members their ages, and income among others. The holder of the card is required to provide provide ‘self-certification’ of the household income. The income has been kept at Rs 1,80,000 per year for each family for the BPL card. Analysts have also pointed out that the declared income under this is never certified at the level of the government.
