Hyderabad: 7th Economic Census survey begins in Rajendranagar

Rajendranagar: Amid growing fear and apprehensions, the Union Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, New Delhi, has commenced the 'Seventh Economic Census' survey in Rangareddy with teams from Common Service Centers (CSCs) under Digital India Department are out to collect the data of households in several areas. Economic Census Survey is taken up in every seven years. Last survey i.e. sixth economic census was held in 2013 and the present seventh economic census began from March 5. However, it is not the people alone that are raising eyebrows over the survey, but even those who are considered less hostile to NRC, CAA and NPR are questioning. The fear factor is even casting a shadow on the survey teams who are fearing to enter the areas considered as completely hostile to these kinds of surveys. Though the survey teams are now busy in non-sensitive areas, they would be soon entering into sensitive localities. In some of the localities anti-CAA protests are still being held. "Initially, we are covering areas where probability of facing trouble is less. We shall be touching the areas where people are apprehensive later," said a surveyor.

What are CSCs

Common Service Centers (CSCs) are the agencies assigned with Digital India Department under Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology. Presently Telangana state has 7,456 CSCs out of which 592 centers are located in Rangareddy District. There are 186 supervisors and 784 enumerators were divided into several teams to collect the information in the district during the survey which proposed to be completed by 5th June this year.

Ares where teams are deployed

There teams each for Rajendranagar, Shamshabad and Keshampet have been deployed. Similarly, two teams deployed for Shadnagar and one for Kundukur. The teams who are trained at CSCs, consists of at least 20 members in each team and are deployed as supervisors and enumerators to visit the areas and collect the data.

The questions they would ask

The queries posed during the survey include name of the head of the family, occupation, address, number of family members (males and females) and activities of the family member, loans and finances borrowed, how many members are working and jobless etc.

Temple, Mosque, Church, Aanganwadies, schools, colleges, ATMs, office of the associations, old age homes and orphanages would also be included in the survey for accurate google mapping.

No testimonial credentials need to furnish

The teams are instructed not to insist for the testimonials if people were not willing to provide the same. "We were strictly told not to ask for furnish any sort of credentials like business license as well as PAN Number which may provoke the citizens out of fear and apprehensions that grips the nation these days," informed one supervisor.