Head-count differs by 6.71 lakh, fresh round on

Noting a discrepancy of 6.71 lakh between Phase I of the Census and Phase II of the caste-based head-count in the exercise conducted by the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) as part of the national Census, the state government has directed the civic body to carry out a fresh round to ascertain the population.

The first phase included the head-count along with details of individual and the family in which 31.15 lakh citizens were registered. However, the Union government decision to carry out socio-economic and caste-based Census led to the second phase in which 24.44 lakh population were registered. "The discrepancy is seen in all civic bodies and the state government has directed all civic bodies to conduct another round," said Mangesh Joshi, Deputy Municipal Commissioner.

The PMC has justified the difference to the state government, he said, adding, "The second phase is based on the record of phase one and 86,393 houses in phase one were closed during the second phase."

There are 9,471 houses that could not be located by those involved in the second phase, Joshi said adding that around 2 lakh families registered in the first phase were not there in phase two.

He said 242 supervisors have been appointed for the fresh round in which they will identify and revisit houses that could not be covered in the caste-based count. The supervisors have already started work and are reaching houses that were closed initially and were left out of the caste census. "We hope to get information of at least 60 per cent of the closed houses. All houses found closed will be registered and the list will be submitted to the census office," Joshi said.

The compiled information of both the phases would be submitted to the state census office to be published citizen to access. This will be followed by seeking of suggestions and objections from citizens to confirm the information in the Census. Citizens can verify all information, like name, age, address, education and suggest corrections wherever necessary. Meanwhile, schoolteachers who were part of the Census for phase one were not made part of the second phase after the government decision to exclude them. Different people had carried out the head-count for the two phases.

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