Bhubaneswar: In the wake of Coronavirus outbreak in India, Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik wrote to PM Narendra Modi requesting the Central government to review the decision for Census 2021 initiative & updation of National Population Register throughout the country.
Also Read: Centre Rejects Odisha’s Request Of Caste-Based Census!
In the letter, CM Naveen Patnaik explained that the first phase of house listing, housing census and updation of population register starts from 1st April 2020 throughout the country and more than 30 lakh enumerators and supervisors in the country will be engaged to carry out this huge exercise.
But before that, all those enumerators and supervisors needed to be elaborately trained and made aware of the activity. So, at a time when the Novel Coronavirus has already made its way into India, it won’t be strategically and humanely right to put those people under risk.
The letter further stated, “All efforts of the state machinery are directed towards containment of Covid19. As mobilization for census and other concerned activities shall pose a great risk for the field functionaries and people as well, I would rather suggest postponing the scheduled census in the country.”
Also Read: Odisha Demanding Census, But Denying Reservation To OBC, SEBC: Dharmendra Pradhan
Urging to review the activity he further advised that “Overall stock may be taken on the emerging situation and the Centre should take appropriate decision in the interest of people.”
Earlier this year, the State government had passed a resolution in state Assembly seeking enumeration of Socially and Educationally Backward Classes and Other Backward Classes/Castes (SEBC) simultaneously along-with the General Census. Responding to which, Union MoS Nityananda Rai of MHA had categorically denied to include any separate column in the Census questionnaire to collect data on OBCs.
The move to pass a resolution hadn't gone down well with the opposition in Odisha. Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan termed the move as “a dilatory and dichotomous step trying to mask the extant policies of the State Government denying State-wide reservation for OBC and SEBC categories.”