Tripura Leader of the Opposition Jitendra Chaudhury on Thursday urged Chief Minister Dr. Manik Saha to intervene in the ongoing census exercise, alleging that a section of officials were attempting to influence enumerators and modify information collected from households.

Raising the matter on the opening day of the Monsoon Session of the Tripura Legislative Assembly, Chaudhury said the current census is particularly significant as the national population exercise is being conducted after a gap of nearly 16 years. He noted that the census could not be held as scheduled earlier due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Chaudhury said house-listing and population enumeration are currently underway and stressed that the data collected during the exercise would play an important role in future government planning, resource allocation and development programmes.

He claimed that information received from several blocks and districts indicated that some District Magistrates and Block Development Officers had allegedly asked enumerators not to record certain household conditions, including the use of kutcha toilets, lanterns and the absence of electricity connections.

According to the Opposition Leader, in some instances enumerators had recorded the actual conditions during their field visits but were subsequently allegedly pressured to modify the information.

“Accurate data is extremely important for the future of the country. Planning and setting targets depend on reliable information,” Chaudhury said.

He cautioned that attempts to portray certain districts or blocks as more developed than they actually are could result in inaccurate assessments and ultimately affect the formulation and implementation of development schemes.

Chaudhury clarified that his concerns were not directed against the entire government machinery or the Census Directorate. Instead, he alleged that only a section of officials might be attempting to influence the process to present their respective areas in a favourable light.

He appealed to the Chief Minister to examine the allegations and ensure that census enumerators are able to carry out their duties independently and record information based on the actual conditions found during field visits.

Chaudhury also stressed the need for officials to recognise the long-term importance of the census and refrain from any interference that could compromise the accuracy of the exercise.