E-Paper
Number of BPL families in Haryana surges
As per official figures presented by Krishan Kumar Bedi, minister of Social Justice, Empowerment, Welfare of SCs and BCs, and Antyodaya (Sewa) department, in response to a unstarred question, the number of BPL families in Haryana has increased significantly over the years from 8.67 lakh (2020-21) to 8.78 lakh (2021-22).
The number of below poverty line (BPL) families in Haryana has witnessed a sharp rise over the past five years, with the latest figures for 2024-25 the cumulative number of BPL households reaching 51.83 lakh, according to government data.
Haryana has over two crore registered voters. A family with annual income of ₹1.80 lakh is eligible for the BPL status in the state, even though as per 2024-25 budget document the per capita income at current prices of the state was ₹3.25 lakh in 2023-24 financial year.
In response to this rising strength of the BPL families, the state government Wednesday informed the assembly that it has been implementing various welfare schemes to uplift these families and improve their quality of life.
As per official figures presented by Krishan Kumar Bedi, minister of Social Justice, Empowerment, Welfare of SCs and BCs, and Antyodaya (Sewa) department, in response to a unstarred question, the number of BPL families in Haryana has increased significantly over the years from 8.67 lakh (2020-21) to 8.78 lakh (2021-22).
The government informed the assembly that the number of BPL families in 2022-23 rose to 32.69 lakh. It further increased in 2023-24 to 44.91 lakh and in 2024-25 BPL families number stood at 51.83 lakh.
“State government is implementing several schemes for uplifting the downtrodden and improving their quality of life,” government said in its reply.
In an effort to improve the living standards of BPL families and help them transition to above poverty line (APL) status, the state government has been implementing multiple schemes focused on food security, social welfare, and education.
The Haryana government stated that it is enforcing the National Food Security Act (NFSA), 2013, also known as the Right to Food Act, to provide subsidised food grains to poor and vulnerable sections of society.
Various financial assistance schemes have been launched to provide support to marginalised communities, including, old age samman allowance (pension) scheme, pension to widows and destitute women, Haryana divyang pension scheme, ladli social security allowance, financial assistance to destitute children, financial assistance to non-school-going disabled children, support for widowers, unmarried persons, and patients with rare diseases.
To ensure that children from BPL families receive quality education without financial constraints, the government offers various scholarships, including, pre-matric and post-matric scholarships for students with disabilities, post-matric scholarship for SC and OBC students, pre-matric and post-matric scholarships for minority students, merit-cum-means scholarships.
The government said that its welfare initiatives are aimed at improving living standards and ensuring sustainable socio-economic growth for Haryana’s underprivileged sections.
The government furnished the reply in response to a question of Congress MLA Pooja (Mullana segment) who had sought year-wise number of BPL families in the State during the last five years and the output of the steps taken by the government to upgrade the status of BPL families to APL families in the state.
