India News | Congress Leaders Demand Immediate Commencement of Census
Get latest articles and stories on India at LatestLY. Senior Congress leaders in Rajasthan on Tuesday supported the demand for immediate commencement of the long-pending national census raised by Sonia Gandhi in Rajya Sabha, arguing that the delay is depriving millions of poor people of their rightful benefits under government schemes.
Jaipur, Feb 11 (PTI) Senior Congress leaders in Rajasthan on Tuesday supported the demand for immediate commencement of the long-pending national census raised by Sonia Gandhi in Rajya Sabha, arguing that the delay is depriving millions of poor people of their rightful benefits under government schemes.
Former Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot criticised the central government for not conducting the census, which was originally scheduled for 2021 but was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
"It is beyond comprehension that even after four years, the census has not been conducted. This is the first time since independence that such a delay has happened. Due to the lack of updated data, government schemes, especially the food security scheme, are not reaching all those in need," Gehlot said on X.
He pointed out that schemes are still being implemented based on 14-year-old data from 2011.
"A child who was 14 years old in 2011 is now 28. But because the census has not been conducted, he is not getting the benefits of food security. The government must start the census immediately so that welfare programs can reach the right people," he added.
The former CM also hit out at the BJP government in the state, saying that it is limited to issuing slogans.
"The reports of gang rape of a minor in Sikar and pregnancy of a teenager after rape in Sri Ganganagar are exposing the Rajasthan government. The state government only talks hollowly about law and order but the reality is that no girl or woman is safe in Rajasthan," Gehlot said.
He said that the chief minister gave a 2-hour speech in the Assembly but did not say anything concrete on women's safety. This shows that women's safety is not included in the government's priorities.
Leader of Opposition in Rajasthan, Tikaram Jully, also echoed the demand, emphasising the need for a caste census to ensure the rights of marginalised communities.
"The caste census of 2021 was postponed on the pretext of Covid, but why hasn't it been conducted even after four years? This shows the BJP government's attitude towards the poor. Crores of deprived people are being denied their rights due to outdated data," Jully said on X.
He accused the BJP government of ignoring the needs of the underprivileged. "A person who was 14 years old in 2011 is 28 today, but due to the absence of a census, the government is snatching away his rights. The census must be conducted immediately so that every needy person gets their due benefits," he added.
The Congress leaders' demand comes a day after former party president Sonia Gandhi raised the issue in Parliament, emphasising that updated census data is crucial for effective governance and equitable distribution of resources.
(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)