Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Friday wrote a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi requesting the Central Government to review the decision for Census 2021 keeping in view the coronavirus outbreak and take an appropriate decision in the interest of people.
In the letter, Patnaik said that around 30 lakh enumerators and supervisors in the country would be engaged to collect data by visiting each household in a first phase. However, in the current situation, where all efforts are directed towards containment of COVID-19, mobilisation for the Census and other concerned activities would pose a great risk for filed functionaries and people as well.
“I would suggest you to postpone the scheduled Census and related activities in the country and take (an) appropriate decision in the interest of people. Overall stock may be taken on the emerging situation,” Patnaik wrote to the PM.
Notably, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs has issued notifications for conduct of Census 2021 and updating of the National Population Register throughout the country. Accordingly, all States have been given schedules to complete the first phase for house-listing, housing census and updating of population registration during 45 days between April 1 and September 30, 2020.