However, Niti Aayog sources informed this newspaper that it is not involved in collation of any such socio-religious data.

New Delhi: The Niti Aayog in its recently released document “Strategy for New India@75” has advocated the need for identifying the poorest among the minority communities through the Socio-Economic Caste Census data (SECC, which came out in 2011) for proper targeting of various schemes, even though the government think tank itself does not have data regarding the total number of families living below poverty line (BPL) in minority concentration areas of the country.

Interestingly, the Union minority affairs ministry, which is mandated with implementing all schemes related to the welfare of the minority communities, has been unsuccessfully seeking the details regarding BPL families in minority concentrated areas from Niti Aayog itself for quite some time.

In fact, top officials of the ministry had recently informed a parliamentary panel on social justice and empowerment that it has been seeking the details from Niti Aayog as the matter of socio-religious census is lying pending with the government think tank.

However, Niti Aayog sources informed this newspaper that it is not involved in collation of any such socio-religious data.

The issue of the number of families living below BPL in minority concentrated areas came into focus when the Parliamentary Standing Committee on social justice and empowerment had earlier this year summoned senior officials of the minority affairs ministry to discuss the implementation of the central scheme titled “Multi sectoral development programme” (MSDP) or Pradhan Mantri Jan Vikas Karyakram.

MSDP is a scheme meant for creation of assets for socio-economic and basic amenities, to bring about overall development in the living condition of people living in minority concentrated areas.