Twists and turns in state BPL data over seven years

Below the Poverty Line (BPL) statistics of Haryana has witnessed interesting twists and turns in the past seven years. After a sudden decline in the number of BPL beneficiaries in 2018, there has been a steady rise in the number until 2022, when the population bracketed in the category registered a sudden spike.

Compiled by the state Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Department, the Public Distribution System (PDS) data revealed that there were 29,65,321 families (total population of 1,34,03,757) in the BPL category in Haryana in July 2017.

In May 2018, the BPL population came down to 1,09,74,191 in 29,61,299 BPL families in the state. The number started growing gradually every year from 2019. There were 1,16,48,421 people in 26,64,480 families in 2019, which went up to 1,20,57,294 people in 27,01,106 families in 2000.

The figures registered a marginal increase in 2021, when the population registered in the BPL category was 1,20,79,955 in 27,05,269 families. In May 2022, the figures increased slightly, with 1,25,26,380 people in 28,18,267 families included in the list.

The government introduced the Parivar Pehchan Patra (PPP) in January 2023, which required self-declaration of income without any verification from the administration, and increased the income limit for BPL benefit from Rs 1.20 lakh per family per annum to Rs 1.80 lakh per annum, coupled with the merging of the categories of Central BPL (BPL fulfilling the Central government criteria) and Other Priority Households (OPH) in the State BPL (BPL criteria set by the state government).

There was no spike till May 2023, when 31,87,107 families (total 1,28,52,681 people) were registered in the BPL despite the extension of the income limit.

The BPL population figures, however, skyrocketed after May 2023, going up to 1,81,04,118 people in 44,89,937 families in May 2024. It indicated that 52,51,437 people of 13,02,830 families were added to the list in one year (from May 2023 to May 2024).

Another 17,86,846 people were added to the BPL category from May 2024 to November 2024, putting the total BPL population to 1,98,90,964 (51,72,267 families), which is about 70% of the state's population, in the BPL.

The Centre’s Social Justice and Empowerment Department data of 2004-05 indicated that Haryana had a total 14% of the total population in the BPL category in 2004-05. It comprised 13.6% in rural areas and 15.1% in urban areas.

Dr Jitender Prasad, sociologist from Maharshi Dayanand University, Rohtak, said there was a need for extensive demographic survey, specially Scheduled Castes and weaker sections of society, to bring out the real picture of the socio-financial condition of the people in Haryana.

Household size 

There was an average of 4.5 persons per household as per the BPL data in 2017 in the state. The BPL household size drastically fell by the end of November 2024 to 3.8 members per family in Haryana

Haryana BPL numbers 

Year                      Population

July 2017            1,34,03,757

May 2018          1,09,74,191

May 2019          1,16,48,421

May 2020          1,20,57,294

May 2021          1,20,79,955

May 2022          1,25,26,380

May 2023          1,28,52,681

May 2024         1,81,04,118

Nov 2024         1,98,90,964