Source : The Hindu Date : 23.06.2009
Sample survey to cover 30,000 households
Special Correspondent
| To focus on consumption expenditure and employment |
Thiruvananthapuram: The socio-economic survey to be conducted by the National Sample Survey Organisation (NSSO) will cover 30,000 households in Kerala and 500 families in the Lakshadweep islands.
Deputy Director-General, NSSO, C.R.K. Nair told reporters here on Monday that the year-long field survey beginning on July 1 would focus on the household consumption expenditure and employment situation all over the country. The data generated by the survey is expected to provide valuable inputs to the government in redrawing the poverty line and updating the consumer price index periodically.
The present survey, he said, assumed greater significance in view of the global economic recession that had impacted India as well. “The findings will help us find the extent of the impact and the sectors that have been affected,” he said.
“The survey on household consumer expenditure will be of assistance to the government in its drive to update the consumer price index every five years. It will also be useful in understanding the changed lifestyles of the people in both rural and urban areas that reflect on the consumption of goods.”
Mr. Nair said the information provided by the households selected for the survey would be used to redraw the poverty lines for each State and update the percentage of people below the poverty line. The findings of the survey are expected to be published by 2011.
The 30,000 households identified for the survey in Kerala cover 656 panchayat wards and 464 urban blocks spread over the 14 districts. The sample households in Lakshadweep are on the Minicoy, Amini and Kavaratti islands. The field work will be conducted in four sub-rounds of three months each from July 1, 2009 to June 30, 2010.
The 300 field staff deployed for the year-long exercise comprises specially-trained officials drawn from the NSSO and the state Department of Economics and Statistics. They will carry a badge, cap and identity card issued by the government.
Mr. Nair said the information collected by the survey would be extensively used for policy planning and development programmes prepared by the Central and State governments as well as the private sector, NGOs and researchers. He assured the public that the information collected from any household or individual would not be disclosed or used to the detriment of any person.
A three-day training conference for government officials selected for the survey began here on Monday under the auspices of the NSSO.
