Shimla, Jan 31 (IANS) Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Sukhu on Saturday directed the Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Department to begin the fourth phase of the below poverty line (BPL) identification survey from February 1. ​

Chairing a meeting of the department here, the Chief Minister said the government is committed to ensuring that every eligible family is included in the BPL list so they can avail benefits of government welfare schemes. ​

He said the survey is being conducted in five phases to ensure that no deserving poor family is deprived of its rightful entitlements. In the first three phases of the survey, 59,829 BPL families have been included in the list across the state. ​

The Chief Minister said families eligible for inclusion in the BPL list also include orphans up to the age of 27 years, households with members above the age of 59 years, and families with members with disabilities in the age group of 27 to 59 years. ​

He said that families headed by women with no adult male member between 27 and 59 years of age, as well as families where the head of the household has a disability of 50 per cent or more, are also to be covered under BPL. ​

Additionally, families that worked for at least 100 days under MGNREGA during the previous financial year will be considered eligible. Households where earning members suffer from chronic diseases such as cancer, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, muscular dystrophy, hemophilia, or any other condition resulting in permanent disability will also be included. ​

The government has also decided to include families living in concrete houses who have received financial assistance under state or Central housing schemes. ​

Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Minister Anirudh Singh, MLA Chander Shekhar, Secretary to the Chief Minister Rakesh Kanwar, Secretary Amarjeet Singh, Director Rakesh Prajapati, and senior officers attended the meeting. ​

–IANS

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