The states, which have been projecting themselves as pro-minority, top the list of having maximum number of Muslims in the BPL category. These states include Assam, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal and Bihar, according to the National Sample Survey Organisation (NSSO). These four states comprise 60 per cent of the country’s Muslim population.
Among the states, which have lowest percentage of Muslims in the BPL category include two non-Congress-ruled states Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. Third is the Congress-ruled state Kerala. The issue will be raised during the National Development Council (NDC) meeting scheduled for Thursday.
As per the figures based on the NSSO estimates and mentioned in the 12th Plan (2012-17) document, in rural areas, the head count ratio (HCR) for Muslims is very high in states such as Assam (53.6%), Uttar Pradesh (44.4%), West Bengal (34.4%) and Gujarat (31.4%).
Similarly, in urban areas the poverty ratio is high for Muslims in states such as Bihar (56.5%), Uttar Pradesh (49.5%), Gujarat (42.4%), West Bengal (34.9%) and Rajasthan (29.5%).
So far as the national average is concerned, the poverty ratio at all-India level is highest for Muslims among the various religious groups, which is 33.9%.
Meanwhile, when enquired about the complete list of Muslim BPL in the country, a senior Planning Commission official revealed that since the sample of the survey in other states were so low that it was not possible to ascertain the figure.
Maintaining that given the depressed global economic scenario, deputy chairman of Planning Commission Montek Singh Ahluwalia said, “Our objective is that we should be going in for a more optimistic scenario... And probably if we reflect, what we now know (is that) instead of GDP growth of 8.2 per cent, it would be better to pitch it at 8 per cent. So I will raise that issue in the NDC.”