Centre urged to employ biometric system: CM
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, August 05 2022: The State Government has urged the Centre to use biometricsbased data collection technology in the census exercise of Manipur so that outsiders do not get listed, stated Chief Minister N Biren in response to a question r aised by Opposition Member K Ranjit in the State Assembly today.

During the question hour, Ranjit asked when the State's census exercise will begin, if any steps have been taken up to avoid listing outsiders and whether it would be possible to link Aadhaar during the census or whether the same exercise can be done in electronic mode.

In reply, N Biren said that the decadal census exercise for the whole country was supposed to begin in February 2021 but it was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Registrar General of India and the Census Commission would determine the schedule of the census exercise.

As of now, the State Government cannot tell the exact time when the census exercise would begin, Biren said.

Nonetheless, the State Government wrote a DO letter to the Union Home Minister on May 5 this year and requested the Ministry of Home Affairs to study minutely the modalities to be adopted for population census in the State of Manipur.

The 2021 census exercise created some serious or unexpected socio-political controversies in some places of Manipur.

Citing these cases, the Government of India has been requested to develop such a system which either rejects or removes all false reports submitted by respondents as well as erroneous data collected by census enumerators, the Chief Minister told the House.

He said that no decision has been adopted as yet regarding linking of Aadhaar with the census.

Nonetheless, in addition to the traditional paper mode, a mobile app would be used in the 2021 census exercise, he said.

K Ranjit further asked if any process was initiated to take up action against those officers and staff who were involved in collecting erroneous data during the last census exercise and what measures have been taken up to avoid such flaws and lapses in the forthcoming population census.

N Biren said that a joint meeting of 12/13 Chief Ministers was held recently at the initiative of the Prime Minister and the meeting discussed the census exercise.

The meeting made it a point that even Aadhaar numbers are not foolproof guarantee to keep out outsiders from the population census.

The gathering further discussed about employing biometrics system in the next population census but no final decision was adopted, Biren.

He further assured that he would soon go to Delhi and make all efforts to save the indigenous people of the land.

To a query raised by MLA Paolienlal Haokip, the Chief Minister clarified that the MLR&LR Act is in force in some pockets of the hill districts because the Assam Revenue Act 1885 was enforced in the State at some point of time in the past.

Manipur was not created in 1960 or 1972.Manipur was created thousands of years ago and it has a long history of its own, Biren pointed out.

Land survey was carried out in hill, districts, particularly Churachandpur, Kangpokpi and Moreh in 1952 when the Assam Land Revenue Act was in force in the State.

The law which was already there was applied and there was no case of enactment or extension of new law, the Chief Minister clarified.

To a query raised by Kh Joykisan, Biren said that there is a restriction on sale and purchase of land in the State but it would be lifted soon.

The restriction was imposed since ILPS was implemented in the State.

But the restriction is not total.

A sub-committee comprising the Revenue Minister, the Agriculture Minister and the Forest Minister give permission for purchase and sale of lands if it is free of controversy, Biren added.

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