Census shadow over local polls

The authorities will now have to go to the high court and explain the circumstances. In its judgement on October 19,the high court had ordered holding of elections on the basis of the 2011 census data. It had also ordered that the notification for the elections should be issued on October 31.

On Sunday,the matter was discussed at a meeting in which Director of Census Operations in UP Neena Sharma told Sate Election Commissioner Rajendra Bhonwal and Principal Secretary of Urban Development Durga Shankar Mishra that ward-wise and caste-wise census data of 2011 cannot be provided till March 2013.

The Census Director presented a letter from RGI C Chandramouli,dated October 21,elaborating the census exercise. It explains that after the population enumeration exercise is over,a series of activities are to be undertaken for arriving at the final population figures. This involves scanning of crores of schedules,data processing,editing,computer-assisted coding,quality checking,etc.

This is a time-taking process and the targeted date for the release of final figures of ward-wise population,SC and ST population is March 31,2013. Looking into the volume of work and the various data processing steps involved,it is not possible to complete the figures before the targeted date,the letter reportedly stated.

The RGI pointed out that similar data from the Census 2001 was released after two years of completion of the enumeration exercise.

Further,the RGI stated that the data released so far was provisional and an estimate of total population,child population and literates by sex and residence. He also stated that the Census does not collect any data relating to backward classes.

“We,therefore,need to apprise the honourable court of the factual position urgently and seek a review of the decision,” read the letter.

Neena Sharma said they would soon file a review petition in the high court.

After the meeting,Joint Election Commissioner JP Singh said,“SEC is ready for issuing the election notification but the state government will have to first complete delimitation and reservation of municipal wards as per 2011 Census data.” “The SEC is ready if the elections are held as per the 2001 Census data. In that case,previous delimitation and reservation would be followed but the electoral roll will be the one updated in April this year,” Singh said.