BPL
list finalises on basis of 2002 Census
NEW DELHI, Mar 19: Twenty-one states
and Union Territories have finalised the
list of below poverty line families on
the basis of the 2002 Census for such
groups.
In a
written reply in the Rajya Sabha,
Minister of State for Rural Development
Surya Kanta Patil said the ministry had
issued guidelines to states and UTs
requesting them to identify the total
number of BPL rural households in such a
way that it should be equal to the
poverty estimates 1999-2000 or the
adjusted share worked out by the Planning
Commission, whichever is higher.
She said
another 10 per cent flexibility is
allowed to account for the transient
poor. Therefore, the states and UTs were
informed about their upper limit for
identification of BPL households.
Patil said
generally the BPL Census is conducted at
the beginning of the Five Year Plan.
However, the results of BPL Census 2002
conducted for the 10th Five Year
Plan could not be finalised because the
Supreme Court had passed a stay order.
"The
state was vacated only February 14, 2006
after which the BPL lists were approved
by the Gram Sabhas," she said.
In
order to redress the public grievances
with regard to their status in BPL list,
Patil said the option of two stage appeal
mechanism can always be availed which is
a continuous process and the BPL list
continues to be relevant. (PTI)
BJP
meet to chalk out strategy to bring
Muslims into its fold
LUCKNOW, Mar 19: In an attempt to
bring Muslims into its fold ahead of the
Lok Sabha elections, a brain storming
session of senior saffron party leaders
would be held at Hyderabad next month to
chalk out a comprehensive strategy.
"BJP
is no longer untouchable for Muslims and
they will have no problems under the
leadership of L K Advani," senior
BJP leader and party’s national
president of the minority cell Shahnawaz
Hussain said here.
He said a
three-day meeting of senior leaders of
the party would be held at Hyderabad from
April three in which a comprehensive
strategy would be chalked out to bring
the Muslims into the party fold.
Although
Hussain remained non-committal when asked
whether the saffron party would field
more Muslim candidates in the forthcoming
Lok Sabha polls, he did say that
"religion will not come in the way
of winnability".
"All
I can say at this moment is that
winnability will be the most important
factor in the selection of
candidates...It won’t matter if he
is a Muslim," he said when pressed
on this count.
Hussain
rejected an assertion that Muslims could
have difficulties in accepting
Advani’s leadership.
"BJP
has the credit of giving riot-free states
barring Gujarat....And there too about 30
per cent Muslims had voted for BJP in the
last assembly elections in the
state," Hussain claimed.
"Our
endeavour will be to remove any misgiving
and misconception in the minds of the
Muslim community," the former union
civil aviation minister said.
Hussain
claimed that the condition of Muslims in
Gujarat was a "lot better than that
of their brethren in the Congress ruled
states".
The party
would be giving tickets to a large number
of Muslims from Kashmir valley in the
next assembly elections in Jammu and
Kashmir, he said adding it was planning
to hold a meeting of Muslims in Srinagar
in the next few months.
Hussain,
who is also a member of the BJP central
election committee, said this time around
his party would announce its candidates
quite early.
"The
process of internal screening and
collection of feed back is currently
on," the saffron party leader said
adding the aim was to provide the
candidates as much time as possible for
campaigning.
Referring
to the spiralling prices of essential
commodities, he asserted that "the
issue of price rise would herald the doom
of the Congress in the Lok Sabha
polls".
"The
budget, which is being celebrated by the
Congress, will prove to be its
waterloo," he said attacking the
loan waiver proposal.
"The
loan waiver proposal is an illusion as
has been proved by the Finance
Minister’s statement that it will be
given in phases meaning thereby that the
burden will fall on the next
Government," he said. (PTI)
Soni
for inclusion of disability studies in
curriculum
NEW DELHI, Mar 19: Supporting the
proposal for inclusion of disability
studies in academic curriculum, Tourism
and Culture Minister Ambika Soni today
said it would create awareness in society
about the needs and rights of the
physically challenged persons.
Inaugurating
a two-day meet on Disability Studies in
Secondary and Higher Education in India
here, she said, attitude has to be
changed towards the physically challenged
persons as they are challenged in a
limited sense only and can do wonders in
other areas of their expertise or
interests.
Emphasising
on sensitization of the issue, she said
people at work place, society and in the
country as a whole must be sensitized
about the needs of the physically
challenged and their rights within the
constitutional framework.
Referring
to the socially and economically
disadvantaged groups in the country, Soni
said, we must work towards creating an
inclusive society where every person
would contribute in the growth and
development of the country.
Calling
for a public awareness campaign for
creating such an inclusive growth, she
said a concerted effort is required to
empower the disadvantaged people.
Recently
government has made the policy related to
recognition of the field of disability
studies and instituted Rajiv Gandhi
Chair.
Speaking
on the occasion, P K Dave, chairman of
Rockland Hospital, said, there should be
a proper data on disabilities, type of
disabilities and other related issues.
Our education system should be geared up
keeping the disability factor in
mind."
All the
World Heritage Sites are in the process
of being provided special facilities for
such people as the Tourism and Culture
Ministries are sensitive to the special
needs of challenged people.
The
Tourism Ministry is also encouraging
hotels and other tourism related
infrastructure to be developed in a
manner that people with special needs can
also use them as effectively as others.
(PTI)
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