The three Chakma inhabitated villages in question are Modakha Nala, Sukha Nala and Shillongpahar under Diyun Circle in Changlang district of the state. These villages are reportedly not covered in the ongoing census work following a direction from the Extra-Assistant Commissioner (EAC) of Diyun Circle who is also the Census Charge Officer (CCO).
The Census Charge Officer of Diyun Circle has directed the supervisors and enumerators not to cover the three villages of Modakha Nala, Sukha Nala and Shillongpahar in the ongoing census.
The said direction of the CCO has come to light after the residents of Shillongpahar approached the CCO on May 9, 2010 as no enumerator visited their village for data collection. The villagers submitted a written complaint to the CCO for inclusion in the ongoing census. Instead of hearing their grievances the CCO informed the villagers that they will not be included in the ongoing census work. Interestingly, the same direction was written by hand on the complaint by the CCO. The CCO’s direction on the complaint which is available with this writer read as under:
"Under no circumstances people residing in RF/ARF area shall be included in the ongoing Census work. Enumerators have already been briefed about the matter”.
The villagers informed this writer that they have been residing in these three villages since 1966. They further stated that their villages had previously been covered for the House-to-House Child Census under the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA), the Government of India’s flagship programme for achievement of Universalization of Elementary Education (Order No.ED.SSA/DEV-1/2006-07 dated 6.12.2006, C.R.C. Coordinator, Diyun Circle) and the Deputy Commissioner-cum-Chairperson, District Health Society, Changlang district appointed Accredited Social Health Activist (ASHA) under the National Rural Health Mission, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (Order No.CMD/RCH/ASHA/07/-08/29/2 dated 10.9.2007) from these villages.
The direction of the CCO is not in line with the guidelines issued by the Registrar General and Census Commissioner, India. In its Circular vide No. 9/31/2010-CD(CEN) dated March 3, 2010 (CENSUS OF INDIA 2011 – CIRCULAR No. 16), the Registrar General and Census Commissioner, India directed all the census officials in the country to prepare a comprehensive list of villages, towns and sub-districts which should include inhabited as well as uninhabited villages as well as forest settlements, unauthorized colonies, etc. Further, the circular directs the Principal Census Officer to ensure that all habitations have been included without any omission.
The Census in the country is carried out under the provision of the Census Act and Census Rules and the amendments thereafter. The duties of the Census Officers have been identified under Rule 5 of the Census Rules 1990 of the Census Act 1948. There are penalties for failure to carry out the duties under the provisions of the Census Act under the Section 11.
The duties assigned to the Census Charge Officer, among others, include to “ensure full coverage, accuracy and timelines in taking census. ”
The Chakmas, who are already very poor, of these three villages are worried that if they are not included in the ongoing census they will be further deprive of accessing benefits under various welfare and development projects of the government. Any omission in population can be rectified only after 10 years and hence it is important to net the entire population without any omission.
The first phase of House-listing and Housing Census for Census of India 2011 which started on April 15, 2010 in Arunachal Pradesh ends on May 31, 2010. The Census of India 2011 is very important as for the first time National Population Register (NPR) will be prepared. Based on the NPR data, a Unique Identity (UID) Number will be issued to each citizen which will be useful for accessing benefits under various welfare and development projects of the government.
[via Merinews ]
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