Bhubaneswar, Oct. 6: After a long-drawn tussle with the Centre for seven years, the state government has decided to finalise the list of households below poverty line based on a survey conducted in 2002.

The list of BPL households identified during a survey in 1997 is still in force, as a result of which lakhs of poor families are being deprived from the benefits like subsidised rice, free treatment, Indira Awas house, old age pension among others.

State panchayati raj minister Prafulla Samal announced today that the government would update the 2002 BPL list and publish the final list by end of January 2010. Sources indicated that chief minister Naveen Patnaik was likely to announce finalisation of BPL list on the Republic Day.

Though BPL survey was conducted in 2002, the list could not be finalised due to tussle between the Centre and state government.

Though 41.56 lakh BPL families were identified during the BPL survey, the Union rural development ministry allowed the state government to include 38 lakh rural households in the BPL list, as a result of which 3.56 lakh rural poor families were left out.

The state government had, therefore, requested the Centre to revise the number of BPL households from 38 lakh to 41.56 lakh.

But the Centre did not accept the state’s request, said the minister. Finally, the state government decided to go for validation of 2002 BPL survey household list.

As per the procedure laid out by the government, verifying officers would physically visit each and every household to scrutinise applications received from families seeking validation of existing list and inclusion of new households. The photograph and biometric identification of head of each household will be verified.

In the subsequent stages, there will be a random cross check of collected family details at the block, sub-division and district levels.

The list would be placed before the palli sabha for ratification and the final approved list would then be submitted to the government for publication, said Samal.