The formation of new districts in AP will take another year. Officials say the delay is due to a ban on changing the boundaries of districts, municipalities and panchayats until the census is completed. The census which was already scheduled to begin has been delayed due to Covid. The Centre had allocated about Rs 8,754 crore in 2019 alone to start the census in April 2020. At the same time, it had also allocated about Rs 3,941 crore towards updating the civil list. However, the imposition of lockdown due to corona from February 2020, in the wake of sanctions, has not yet begun and hence delayed the census. It is said to begin next month. There will be restrictions on changing boundaries until the final figures are finalized. Responding to a query from Vijayawada-based RTI activist and journalist Inuganti Ravi Kumar, the Union Home Ministry said it had earlier issued orders not to set up new districts, municipalities and revenue villages until the Census Registrar General completes the census.
For the formation of 26 districts
After the formation of the YSRCP government in AP, the exercise for the formation of new districts began. There is a proposal to form one Lok Sabha constituency per district. In addition, the formation of separate districts for Araku is also proposed. This was discussed at the Cabinet meeting in 2020. However, the Centre will have to approve the process of changing the districts. Permission will be required. The break came in the wake of this. Following the release of the census schedule, there will be a ban on the formation of new districts, change of district administration, dissolution of districts, merger or division of sub-divisions, merger or change of boundaries of municipal and village boundaries, change of names.
Once in every decade
The first census in India was taken in 1872. Later, during British rule, census data was collected by caste and sub-caste. In addition, details were collected regarding livelihood and financial matters. It is said that these calculations were within the purview of the respective Patwaris during the rule of the Nizam. From then until 1951 there were only 7 censuses. Has been doing so every decade since 1951. The census, which is due to end in 2021, has been postponed due to Covid. Even if the census starts in April and is completed in a matter of months, it will take time for the final figures to be released, approved by the Centre, registered in the national records and so on. That means by April 2022 there might be clarity on the issue.
30 lakh personnel required to carry out the census
According to the 2011 census, 28 lakh people worked in the field. The process started in a couple of days across the country except Assam. It is estimated that 30 lakh personnel will be required this time. However, this time for the first time, the app and the website will be used for the preparation of census and NPRs as there is also a civil register. In addition to telling the details to the authorities. The Centre had earlier announced that it would facilitate the people to register the details with the relevant evidence. It remains to be seen whether this facility will be available in the forthcoming census or whether any changes will be made.
Why the necessity to link?
Details of about 65 items in the census are required to be recorded. It includes ward / division, village / municipality, zone / taluka, district / territory and state details in common. However, the details of each family are collected. The Centre will also issue a special notification in this regard. While some items must be given by people, some items can be given optionally. It is not possible to collect details that infringe on the rights enshrined in the Constitution and incite discrimination. Non-basic details must be entered.
Here it is necessary to mention that the census which took place in the past. The census process, formerly known as 2011, began in 2010. By 2015, at the micro-report level, it took four years to codify village-by-village information on the structure of the house – slab, huts, flakes, Puri hut, permanent, temporary structure, infrastructure, area, economic details, religion, caste, language, literacy, immigration information. The final list was released in 2015. Changing boundaries and changing names during this time will delay the release of the nationwide census report. Also, it would lead to confusion. In the light of these developments, it is understood how long it will take for the Census Preliminary Report to be finalized. The ban on changing the boundaries of new districts, villages and municipalities will continue until the preliminary report is received.
