New Delhi: Government of India may postpone both National Population Register (NPR) and Census exercises due to coronavirus outbreak.
It may be mentioned that the exercises are scheduled to start on 1st April 2020. However, due to the rise in the number of COVID cases in India, it is expected that the government will postpone the exercises.
As per the media report, two government sources confirmed that the exercises will not start on the scheduled date as the Union Health Ministry’s guidelines limit mass contact due to the outbreak of the virus.
Naveen Patnaik writes letter to Modi
It may be mentioned that on Friday, Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to postpone all activities related to NPR and Census.
In a letter written to Prime Minister Modi, Patnaik said: “We are all at present fighting against novel coronavirus (COV1D-19) pandemic. All efforts of state machinery are directed towards containment of COVID-19. As mobilisation for Census and other concerned activities shall pose a great risk for field functionaries and people as well, I would rather suggest to postpone the scheduled Census and related activities in the country.”
“I am apprised of the fact that about 30 lakh enumerators and supervisors in the country will be involved in collecting data by visiting each household during the first phase. This has to be preceded by elaborate training, awareness campaign and related activities,” Patnaik wrote.
The Chief Minister urged the Central government to review the proposed Census and take an appropriate decision in the interest of people.
COVID cases in India
In India, coronavirus cases rose to 223 on Friday after 50 more people were infected with the virus in various parts of the country.
Among those found positive for coronavirus are 32 foreign nationals.
Globally, there is a total of 246,275 confirmed cases of COVID-19 while the death toll has crossed 10,000.