National Statistical Office to create awareness on surveys owing to public resistance

In the wake of continued resistance from the public, the National Statistical Office (NSO) will launch public awareness campaign asking people to cooperate with its regular surveys.

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In the wake of continued resistance from the public, the National Statistical Office (NSO) will launch public awareness campaign asking people to cooperate with its regular surveys. People in a few panchayats objected to NSO’s regular survey after they got it confused with the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) and National Population Register (NPR). The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation would re-start campaign which includes advertisements in theatres during film screening, FM radios and newspapers.

“There were campaigns till the end of last year. The ministry will soon re-start the campaign in the wake of less-than-desirable response from public to the surveys,” said Deputy Director General of NSO (Field Operations Division) in Kerala and Lakshadweep, Sunitha Bhaskar in a media briefing. 

NSO has sought the help of Local Self Government Department, police and district administration for the smooth conduct of surveys. NSO is conducting nine major household surveys such as the 78th round of socioeconomic survey on domestic tourism expenditure, periodic labour force survey, annual survey on industries, urban frame survey, time use survey, price index survey, seventh economic survey, annual survey of unincorporated sector enterprises and survey on missing indicators of sustainable development goals.

“Data collection from sample locations are important because any change would affect the overall estimates,” Sunitha said. The field officer had not asked basic details and the organisation did not have any mandate for preparing NPR. However, the presence of officers who do not know Malayalam increased the suspicion of people in certain panchayats, she said.  

 The resistance was worse in the northern districts of Malappuram, Palakkad and Kozhikode. But there were instances in Kochi, Kollam and Thiruvananthapuram as well.“Fifteen families in a panchayat in Palakkad refused to cooperate with us and requested us to bear with them till the confusion is cleared,” Mohammed Yasir, NSO director in Kozhikode.

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