Statistics ministry mulls survey of standalone common property resources after a 26-year gap

Stats ministry planning a survey of Common property resources

How much do poor households rely on common property resources for their livelihoods and what’s the role of common resources in the tribal economy?

The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation is considering a survey of India’s common property resources to answer these queries, sources told Moneycontrol.

“We have received a request to conduct a survey on common property resources, we are still in the planning phase,” said a person aware of the development.

The last detailed study on common property resources was carried out in 1998-99. CPR surveys were started by the government in the 1980s.

The 1998-99 survey found that common property resources were 15 percent of the total geographical area, while the per capita holding was 0.06 hectares.

While 23 percent of the common property resources were used as common pastures or grazing grounds, 16 percent were village forests and woodlots.

The new study will help determine if the land under common property resources has decreased over the last three decades.

In the 1980s, 24 percent of the total geographical area was covered by common property resources, which declined to 15 percent by 1998-99.

The National Sample Survey Organisation will launch surveys related to travel and tourism from the second half of the year.

It recently announced the results of a telecom survey, conducted between January and March to determine digital literacy levels.

The survey found that the gap between male and female digital literacy had been bridged in both rural and urban areas among 15-29-year-olds, due to increased mobile phone ownership.