HYDERABAD: In the history of 150 years of decadal census, for the first time it was postponed in 2021 citing Covid-19 pandemic effect. As a result, the youngest state in the country, Telangana, is being adversely affected in implementation of welfare schemes and developmental works.
A notification was issued by the registrar general, ministry of home affairs (MHA) for Census-2021 in 2019. The process should have begun in 2020 to complete the decadal census in households across the country. Due to Covid-19 restrictions from March 2020, the census process was halted.
Telangana region was covered in the previous census of 2011 in united Andhra Pradesh. After the formation of Telangana state in 2014, first time the census was proposed in 2021. Citing the Covid-19 pandemic, the directorate of census operations, Telangana state, issued orders not to take up the
census process.
Prior to beginning of the census process, the boundaries of administrative units like states, districts, municipalities, mandals and gram panchayats will be frozen to get accurate details of citizens and households.
Meanwhile, director of census operations in Telangana K. Ilambarithi issued orders stating that the date of freezing of boundaries for the ensuing census is further extended up to December 31, 2022.
As per 8 (iv) of Census Rules 1990, the boundaries of the administrative units shall be frozen from the date intimated by the census commissioner, which shall not be earlier than one year from the census reference date.
In view of this, the beginning of the census will take more time in 2023. Around the three years delay in census would adversely affect all the welfare schemes implemented by both the Central and the state governments.
When contacted, commissioner and director of municipal administration Dr N. Satyanarayana said funds would be released for developmental activities based on population. “90 per cent population and 10 per cent demographic details will be considered for the release of funds,” he explained.
Compared to north Indian states, southern states would be more affected with the delay in census, he said. Population growth was low in southern states and they would not get required funds for developmental works, he added.
