Census skirts Bopal

Census 2010, country’s biggest population count exercise, is yet to take off in Bopal.Reason: Collector’s office and AMC were at oggerheads over their jurisdiction



Though the Census work in the state teed off on April 21 with much hype, the survey work is yet to take off in Bopal, the much-advertised satellite town on the outskirts of Ahmedabad. Reason: Confusion over who would conduct the survey.

While AMC turned down the Census department’s request to conduct the survey on the grounds that it was not within its limits, the Ahmedabad District Collectorate did not take any extra initiative to do the honours.

But all is well now. After parleys, the collector’s office has decided to conduct the Census and its survey will begin shortly.

Precious time, 21 days to be precise, has already been lost in sorting out the confusion. It could prove crucial in the end as the first phase of the Census involving house survey — the base of the biggest survey of the country — has to be completed in 45 days.

Now, the enumeration has to be done in a hurry. “It could lead to mistakes,” said a source.

Director of Census Operations Manish Bharadwaj said: “AMC and the office of the collectorate could not decide on who would conduct the Census at Bopal. We had given the responsibility to AMC. But it refused citing that Bopal was not in its jurisdiction and the collectorate should conduct the survey.”

Ahmedabad District Collector Harit Shukla said: “There was a confusion. We have sorted it out. The appointment of the members of the survey teams started on Wednesday. The Census work in Bopal will start within a few days.”