Delay in conducting population census affecting welfare schemes: VCK MP Ravikumar tells Amit Shah

CHENNAI: Villupuram MP and VCK general secretary c on Tuesday demanded Union Home Minister Amit Shah to conduct a population census stating that the postponement of the exercise had an egregious impact on government policies and living standard of the people of the country.

"The BJP government has indefinitely postponed the decennial counting measure. India is one of the 44 countries out of 233 that have not conducted their latest census. By not taking up the crucial exercise, India shares dubious distinction with conflict-ridden countries such as Ukraine, Yemen, Syria, Myanmar," Ravikumar stated in his letter to Shah.

The VCK leader also mentioned that the postponement of the population census would affect many other surveys, citing the example of the consumption survey 2022-23. It collected data on the consumption of goods and services to understand expenditure patterns and the standard of living by using the 2011 census for sampling.

The National Family Health Survey 2019-21, which highlights districts where health services are inadequate, also relied on the 2011 figures, while schemes such as the National Security Act, which identifies beneficiaries entitled to receive subsidized food grains, are still being implemented using the 2011 census, he added.

The delay in doing the census exercise has also affected the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme as the Union government allocates funds to each state, based on the number of households and labourers in the state, leading to serious implications for the development of SC/ST communities and housing schemes for the poor.

Recalling his earlier demands in the 17th Lok Sabha regarding the census, the MP urged Amit Shah to initiate the census process.