Hi-tech BPL count to save time, paper

NEW DELHI: This time, the search for the poor will save both time and paper. Instead of carrying forms to jot down details about salary, belongings , education and landholding of households in the BPL census, the enumerators would now key in the data in tablet computer.

The Centre will hold a BPL census soon — a door-to-door survey to identify the poor who are beneficiaries of government subsidies. The accuracy of the much-awaited survey is critical since the previous essays were off the mark by 50%.

Sources said tablet PCs are being tested in Bangalore to see how five lakh gadgets can be used to cover the 18-crore households across rural India . “It would save a lot of time and money,” a senior official said.
The enumerators would have to seek details like salary, ownership of transport vehicles, irrigated land and other acquisitions like telephones , refrigerator and television.

If the PC tablet is used, the survey team would go in a pair. An enumerator would ask questions, and a technically-qualified person would feed the data in to the tablet computer.

Later, the data can be uploaded directly to a central server for compiling the BPL list. “It would save us months, but a final decision on tablet PCs is to be taken,” he added.

The Centre has decided to go by the Tendulkar Committee that pegs the BPL count at 37% of India’s population . The process would entail taking down intricate socio-economic details about households, and then use the exercise for preparing the list of poor.

The survey is quite a test for enumerators who have to take down details about households owning motorized transport; owning mechanized agricultural implements ; having Kisan Credit Card; with any member is in government service; with a member earning over Rs 10,000 a month; paying IT; with three/more rooms with p u c c a walls and roof; having refrigerator, landline phones; details of irrigated land etc.