Srinagar, Aug 11: State Government would soon conduct a census in Jammu and Kashmir to identify poor along with their caste and religion to ensure that benefits of targeted subsidy programs reach them.
Officials in Rural Development Department said once the exercise is completed Government will know the socio-economic status and caste of each family in Jammu and Kashmir. The initiative would help proper utilization of various centrally sponsored programs meant for population belonging to Below Poverty Line, SC/ST and other socially backward categories.
State government’s decision follows Government of India go-ahead to a proposal in May this year for conducting caste based census.
On Wednesday JK government issued order for constitution of a State level committee headed by Chief Secretary to supervise and execute the socio-economic census, both in rural and urban areas.
This is the first time that the mammoth head count is being carried out to identify the poor, both rural and urban, along with their caste and religion. In 2002 Government had conducted a sample survey of this kind in 2002. Besides only rural population was enumerated to help them avail targeted BPL benefits.     
Chief Secretary Madhav Lal told Greater Kashmir the census is aimed at identifying families belonging to different income groups which could help Government target affirmative action benefits in a better way.
“Caste and religion of people will also be enumerated,” the Chief Secretary said.
While Government order doesn’t mention enumeration of caste and religion officials said the words have not been incorporated for unknown reasons.
While BPL data for urban and rural poor would be utilized for the 12th Plan, the targeted subsidy schemes as well as the Unique Identification program (UID), the data on caste and religion would remain confidential.
Secretary Rural Development Yedullah said as per the set norms the BPL population is entitled to various benefits under centrally sponsored schemes. These financially weak families also get ration items at subsidized rates from government depots and they have to pay less rate of interest on different kind of loan taken from financial institutions.
Similarly people belonging to SC/ST and other socially backward categories are benefited through different schemes.
At present different government departments including CAPD and Rural Development have conflicting figures about population living under BPL and belonging to different categories.
“Once government has the actual figures it will help in proper planning and execution of schemes,” Yedullah told Greater Kashmir.    
The whole state will be divided into 28000 enumeration blocks comprising of two to four villages. All relevant households which have been enumerated under general census 2010-11 would be revisited, with the enumerators and date entry operators, from the state governments, going door to door. The census will use the data as number of houses, family strength in a particular village and population figures obtained from the general census.
The whole exercise will be conducted in two phases. While the first phase is likely to start in October, the final phase will be held in November. 
“Once the exercise is completed government will know the socio-economic status and caste of each state family,” Yedullah said.
The Ministries of Rural Development, Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation and the Registrar General of India would jointly conduct the exercise.
Shahid expresses solidarity with striking contractual teachers   
Srinagar, Aug 12: Senior leader of Hurriyat Conference (M) and close associate of Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, Shahid-ul-Islam on Friday, on behalf of Mirwaiz, called on striking  contractual teachers, who are fast unto death, at Press Enclave here.
 “The Government should accept your genuine demands and we assure you all kind of help,” he told protesting teachers.
Pertinently, teachers went on indefinite strike and boycotted the classes from June 27 and later on went for the hunger strike from July 30. 
The teachers are observing strike against the Government’s decision to drop out their colleagues who had completed seven years of their service, from being regularized. They are demanding a change in the nomenclature; monthly wages equivalent to the basic salary of the post they are holding, one time exemption in NET/SET and end to the new norm of six classes per day.

Lastupdate on : Fri, 12 Aug 2011 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Fri, 12 Aug 2011 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Sat, 13 Aug 2011 00:00:00 IST