NEW DELHI: About six in every 10 households in urban areas will be eligible for assessment for identifying whether they are entitled for government's social welfare schemes, according to the recommendation of a government panel.Those having a four-room set or four-wheeler or an air conditioner will be automatically excluded from being eligible for social benefits in urban areas. "They will be ranked on the basis of an index score on a scale of zero to 12. The parameters will be residential, social and occupational deprivation," said an official.Earlier, the S R Hashim Committee had submitted its report on urban poor in December 2012, but the government never accepted it. "Going by the recommendation of Hashim panel, 41% households in urban areas could have been included for assessment to find whether they are eligible for getting benefits from government schemes. But the Debroy panel recommendations will make 59% households eligible for this assessment," said a source.The panel has said categorising of households/population as BPL or above poverty line would be a misnomer

Source: Times of India August 06, 2017 22:54 UTC