The Census operation has been affected in more than 300 villages of restive Bastar in Chhattisgarh due to Naxalite activities in the region.
Following threats to the enumerators collecting data, the state government had been given time till September last to complete the first phase of census 2011. The state government had urged the Census Commissioner to grant extra time to complete the work in insurgency-hit areas.
According to top officials in the department of home, as many as 321 villages have been identified in Bastar region country's worst Naxal-infested pocket where enumeration had been severely affected. Of the villages, 143 are in Bijapur, 115 in Dantewada, 57 in Narayanpur and six in Bastar district.
In most of the villages among the 321 identified, the enumerators had failed to even enter the village to start (the first phase involves listing of houses and collection of data for the national population resister), a senior department official told Business Standard. The Naxalites had issued whip and asked the employees not to enter the village till they (rebels) permit, the official added.
The employees assigned the job had, however, refused to enter the villages with the security personnel. They believe that moving with the jawans would make them vulnerable for Naxal attack and the employees would not put their lives on risk.
As of now, the rebels had not inflicted any damage on the teams involved in enumeration but had asked them to keep themselves away from work till they (the Naxalites) permit. The government is making efforts to move the employees without any security cover and hence extended the deadline that ended on June 15. "Based on the home department's report, the government urged the Census Commissioner in New Delhi to extend the date and it was accepted," Renu Pillai, director of Census Chhattisgarh, said.
