Matter of ENSF non-cooperation with SECC settled
Chizokho Vero
Morung Express News
Kohima | January 16
Nagaland today joined the nationwide Socio- Economic & Caste Census (SECC) with Chief Minister of the state Neiphiu Rio being enumerated. The SECC is being launched for the first time in the country and the record is going to be used for the 12th Five Year Plan. Nagaland Census Operations Director Hekali Zhimomi said the exercise is targeting completion within 45 days and has sought cooperation from everyone. “It is a massive coordination exercise,” she said.
Also, officials of Rural Development said the issue pertaining to an organization, Eastern Naga Students’ Federation (ENSF), expressing non-cooperation with the Socio Economic Caste Census 2011 has been settled at the meeting held on January 14 last.
In a written reply to the ENSF, Commissioner & Secretary for Rural Development V Sakhrie stated that the SECC 2011 is a nationwide exercise being conducted throughout the country by the Central government through the state governments to survey the socio-economic status of its people. Earlier, the state governments in the country were mandated to conduct the Below Poverty Line (BPL) Survey which has limitations and therefore could not fully meet the hopes and aspirations of the people in the country.
The scope of this survey has now been expanded and renamed as the socio-economic and caste census, which will enable the government to map the socio-economic status of all sections of society and will help to plan and design appropriate government programmes and ensure targeted delivery to the genuine beneficiaries and also facilitate equitable distribution of government resources and welfare services to the people.
In fact, he said, this comprehensive exercise is the first of its kind in the country covering both urban and rural areas with an objective to identify the exact status of the living conditions of the people in the country. The letter said the question of the word “caste” being used in the SECC operation has nothing to do with the state of Nagaland as one is aware, it is a tribal state fully recognized in the constitution of India.
“It is only renamed as SECC 20011 as it is being used for whole country in which different castes exists in mainland India, The SECC 20011 operation is only a nomenclature to determine the socio-economic status of all citizens in the country.”
He said instructions have been already conveyed to all DCs and PDs concerned by authorities to do all that is possible to disseminate necessary information pertaining to SECC 2011 operation and thereby create awareness among our people in their respective districts to avoid any unnecessary apprehension in future in this regard.
Requesting that the issue be seen in the right perspective and the position be explained to the people of the four ENPO districts, he stated that the state government has no mala-fide intentions whatsoever but is only trying to implement this welfare programme of the Central government purely in the interest of the people.
