Govt not to release results of Consumer Expenditure Survey 2017-18, RS told

NEW DELHIi: The government has not published a single Consumer Expenditure Survey Report in the last five years and the CES report of 2017-18 will not be released, Rajya Sabha was informed on Monday.

In his written reply to Trinamool Congress member Jawahar Sircar, Minister of State (Independent Charge) of Statistics and Programme Implementation Rao Inderjit Singh said the ministry has decided not to release the results of Consumer Expenditure Survey 2017-18.

He said the ministry had conducted an all India survey on Household Consumer Expenditure during NSS 75th round (July 2017-June 2018).

The TMC MP had asked about the reasons as to why the government had not published CES report in the last five years and when it proposes to release the results of the 2022-23 survey.

The minister, in the written reply, said a rigorous procedure for vetting of data and reports was followed which are produced through different surveys.

“The results of this survey were examined and it was observed that there was a significant variation in the levels in the consumption pattern as well as in the direction of the change while comparing with other administrative sources,’’ he said.

The Minister said the matter was referred to a Committee of Experts which has recommended refining the survey methodology and improving the data quality aspects on a concurrent basis and it was decided that the results of Consumer Expenditure Survey 2017-19 would not be released.

The Minister added that the ministry is conducting back to back surveys, each of one year duration, on Household Consumption Expenditure. He said that field work for the first year of the HCES 2022-24 has been completed and post survey activities for preparation of survey results have commenced. Field work for the second year of HCES 2022-24 has been initiated since August last year.