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Census operations hit by Hizb ban

Mukhtar Ahmad in Srinagar

Admitting for the first time that census-taking operations have been hampered, the Jammu and Kashmir government appealed to the Hizbul Mujahideen to lift the ban on the same. The militant organisation had earlier asked the government to 'call off the ongoing census in the state'.

Addressing a press conference in Srinagar, director of census operations in Jammu and Kashmir Feroze Ahmad admitted that census cannot be conducted without co-operation from locals and admitted that the 'operations have been hampered due to the ban'.

"Census has nothing to do with politics," he explained. He appealed to the Hizb to 'give us a chance to conduct a correct census to set the record right'.

"People should participate, co-operate and provide genuine data which is extremely important for area planning and development," he said.

Ahmad admitted that the statement of former Union minister Saifuddin Soz expressing doubts over the census operations in J&K had affected 'our exercise as it gave it (the opposition to the census) an intellectual touch'.

However, he said that there was no truth that the 'ongoing census will be manipulated'. He said, "This is not possible as the procedure and methodology of census was extremely transparent which leaves no room for doubt. There won't be any manipulation of the demographic pattern of the state. I will set the record straight."

Ahmad admitted that non-state subjects, who are at present staying in the valley, would be counted as residents of J&K. To differentiate between locals and non-state subjects, 'the state government can ask the Centre to include a separate column in the census forms which can determine whether a person is a local or otherwise'.

"However, as the first phase has already been completed, it will be difficult to incorporate this column at this juncture," Ahmad said. He regretted that objections, in this regard, were not raised by any quarter during the first phase of the census operations.

EARLIER REPORT
Hizbul threatens census officials with death

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