The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation came into existence as an Independent Ministry on 15 October 1999, following the merger of the Department of Statistics and the Department of Programme Implementation. The Ministry has two wings, one relating to Statistics and the other to Programme Implementation. The Statistics Wing, also known as the National Statistical Office (NSO), comprises the Central Statistical Office, the Data Informatics & Innovation Division, and the National Sample Survey Office (NSSO). The Programme Implementation Wing has three divisions: the Twenty-Point Programme, Infrastructure Monitoring, and Project Monitoring, as well as the Member of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme.