The Directorate of Census Operations, Kerala, has stopped referring to the National Population Register (NPR) in its census-related communication indicating that the controversial process may be dropped in Kerala.
The decision to avoid references to the NPR was taken following “oral instructions” from the authorities concerned. A formal communication announcing the decision to drop NPR updating was expected shortly, highly places sources said.
Incidentally, the State government had decided to dissociate itself with NPR after The Hindu reporting on December 20, last year that the process was under way in the State.
The Directorate of Census Operations, Kerala, is currently moving ahead only with the House Listing and Housing Census. All the communication being send out from the office since last week refers only to the census and not updating of NPR, census officials pointed out.
The NPR was supposed to be updated along with House Listing and Housing Census from April 15 to May 29 in the State.
On January 14, T. Mithra, Director of Census Operations, Kerala, had written to the City/Town Census Officers asking them to draw up a list of “enumerators and supervisors for House Listing and Housing Census and updating of NPR.”
Officials in trouble
As the earlier census-related communication issued from the Directorate to the General Administration Department had references to the NPR, the State officials used to strike out the NPR part from it before forwarding it to the census officials concerned.
The officials at the district levels were forced to expunge the NPR-related references from the communication or redraft it before forwarding it to implementation officers. In a few instances, the failure to black out the references to the NPR had resulted in public protests, officials pointed out.
The State had witnessed widespread public protest against the NPR and NRC following the enactment of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA).
The State Cabinet had earlier decided to write to the Registrar, General and Census Commissioner of India, expressing fear that updating would lead to the preparation of National Register of Citizens (NRC). The State government apprehended that updating would trigger widespread unrest in the State. The District Collectors had informed the government that updating of NPR along with the Census would upset the whole process.
