CHENNAI: A survey of Below Poverty Line (BPL) families living in areas under urban local bodies (ULBs), including 157 municipalities and 561 town panchayats, in the State is yet to be completed.

The Government wanted it to be completed by February 15.

Informed sources told The Hindu here on Tuesday that while some ULBs had completed the work, others had sought more time. In some municipalities the process was in an advanced stage, but compilation was still on.

A detailed survey of BPL families living in ULB limits was conducted during the previous All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) rule in 2003.

As per Government of India estimates, the number of BPL families in Tamil Nadu, as on June 30, 2006, was 48.63 lakh. The decision to undertake a fresh survey followed receipt of several representations challenging the correctness of the BPL list and complaints that many families had been left out, the sources said.

During the extensive district-wise review meetings conducted by Minister for Local Administration M.K. Stalin, elected representatives, including legislators, suggested an exercise to verify the BPL list. A correct list was important as it formed the basis for selecting beneficiaries for programmes involving the supply of cheap rice, free cooking gas, colour TV sets and also the Indira Awaaz Yojna, implemented by the State Government and the Centre, they pointed out. The issue had also come up in the Assembly.

Against this backdrop, the Government felt that there was a need to verify the list and include names that had been left out and delete those of ineligible persons. Clearly, many people who ought to be in the Above the Poverty Line category were in the BPL list.

Following a plea made by the CMA, the Government laid down guidelines on January 9 for verification and preparation of a fresh BPL list. All the ULBs were asked to display their respective BPL lists on the notice boards for verification by elected representatives and members of the public for 15 days.

Instructions were given to verify the representations within 15 days by involving community organisers, resident community volunteers, health visitors and multipurpose health workers in the ULBs in the work. If the survey formats were not available with the ULBs, they were asked to print them, as was done during 2003-2004, the sources pointed out. As many BPL families would have migrated, it was decided to include them in the list of the local body where they had settled down, after examining the records. Their names were to be deleted from the records of ULBs from whose areas they had moved out.

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