Part IA, Series-16, Meghalaya
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For Official Use CENSUS OF INDIA 1991 SERIES 16 MEGHALAYA PART I-A ADMINISTRATION REPORT (ENUMERATION) TAPAN SENAPATI Director of Census Operations, Meghalaya CONTENTS Page PREFACE (v) Chapter Introduction 1 Chapter II Preparatory Steps 2 Chapter III Preparation for the Census 6 Chapter IV Building up of the Organisation 17 Chapter '. V Touring and Training Programmes 19 Chapter VI Census Schedules and Instruction-Translation, Printing and Distribution 21 Chapter VII Procurement of Maps 22 Chapter VIlI Preparation of Rural and Urban Frame 44 Chapter IX Enumeration Agency 28 Chapter X Houselisting Operations 30 Chapter XI Enumeration 33 Chapter XII Directives issued by the Central/State Govemments 38 Chapter XIII General 39 Chapter XIV Post-Enumeration Check 43 Chapter XV Condusion and Acknowledgement 44 APPENDICES Appendix - Otculars issued by the Registrar General, India 45 Appendix - II Circulars issued by the Director of Census Operations, Meghalaya 83 Appendix - III Important letters from the State Government of Megtlalaya 172 Appendix - IV Census Schedules - 1991 Census 186 (iii) PREfACE It has been a tradition that 'after each decennial census of the population an .. Administration Report - E.numeration" is written by each and every Director of Census Operations who has conducted the Census to record therein his functions, duties and experiences in the course of the census operations in order to act as a guide to his suc«~ssor in the next decennial census. With the passage of time and due to the continuous rise in the population. the number of districts. Dev. Blocks, drdes, etc., ha~ risen by many folds. This increase has made the conduct of the census operations more complicated and strenuous demanding huge manpower at every level. The problems and experiences faced and gained by a director in the earlier census may widely differ from the problems faced and experiences gained by a director in the later censuses. The lat~r censuses are more demanding than the earlier ones where the director has to pool all the resources available to him in a more stringent manner permitting not the slight~t laxity. The census itself is quite exact in its demand both mental and physical as it has to be completed within a scheduled date. Here~ therefore, lies the importance of an "Administration Report - Enumeration" which covers the period from the prepara~ory stage of the 1991 Census which started in 1987 to the completion of the actual enumeration on February 28, 1991. with a revisional round from March 1 to 6. 1991. During this period the director might have encountered quite a Aumber of problems for which he might have found the correct solution. He might also have gained quite an amount to experiences that would be an indispensable asset for his successor. It would be, therefore. very appropriate that this report is prefaced by the director himself. But may be due to his early departure on 28.12.94. this report has 'been Jeft unprefaced l\'\y heartfelt thanks also goes to Shri A.R. Nanda, Registrar General, India, who has been the guiding light during the course of the 1991 Census operations. His useful advice and able guidance are an inspiratoin to us all. Nevertheless. on his behalf, I express my sincere gratitude to all the officers in the State Government right from those who were in the state secretariat. the districts and down to Block Development Officers. without full co-operation of whom. the conduct of the 1991 Census in Meghalaya would not have been that successful. In the directorate of census operations. Meghalaya, the director was ably assisted by S/Shri D.P. Khobragade, Deputy Director. who had relinguished charge of this office on 1.5.93 on transfer and K.S. Lyngdoh, Assistant Director, who had retired from service on superannuation on 30.6. 1995. My Sincere thanks to them both. Shillong. A. PY~ruH June 3, 1996. DE.PUTY DIRECTOR (v) INTRODUCTION I assumed charge of the post of Director the officers of the State Government who were Census Operations, Meghalaya, on the 29th concerned with Census work. December, 1989. I belong to the Karnataka Cadr~ of When I joined, the Directorate had a staff the Indian Administrative Service. Sometime in the strength of 62 persons including Group 'D' month of October, 1989, Registrar General and employees with 2 group 'A' officers viz .. Shri D,P. Census Commissioner of India, Mr. A.R. Nanda, had Khobragade, Deputy Director. and Shri K.S. Lyngdoh. come to Bangalore and met me in the Office of Assistant Director. There were 2 Group 'B' officers in the Secretary Personnel, Karnataka Government. He the rank of Investigators. Group 'C' staff in the inquired whether I would be interested in taking the rank of Statistical Assistants and 14 computors. In assignment in Meghalaya. the Establishment section,. there were one office The idea immediately appealed to me as I am Superintendent, one Head Assistant. one Accountant. originally from Shillong, the state capital of 3 Assistans, four Upper Division Clerks. 2 Lower Meghalaya and was born and brought up in Division Clerks. one Ubr¥jan. one Sr. stenographer;. Shillong. It was an opportunity to come home for one Jr. Stenographer and one staff car driver. The me as well as a thrill to take up this great and map section had one eartograpf1er. Two Sr. Artists. challenging task of national importance: one Sr. Draughtsman and 2 Jr. Draughtsmen. There As soon as I joined" I made it a point to call were 4 peons, 2 duftries. 3 farashes. one Jr. upon all the senior officers of the Government of Gestetner Operi\tor, one Sweeper and 5 Chowkidars. Maghalaya. Unfortunately, the end of December and My joining in the Census Organisation was the beginning of January is not the most appropriate very late as I t\ad barely three months before the time for meeting officers in the Government of Houselisting Operations -which was to take place in Meghalaya as it coincides with the festival seasons April, 1990. It would be in the fitness of things if of Christmas and New Year coupled with the bitter the Director is posted and in position at least a cold of the winter. However, I met the Chief year before the commencement of the Houselist Secretary, Mr. Ramal<rishnan, on the very first day of ing Operations to enable him to have a good my joining. He gave me some very useful advice. start and be well prepared for the important By the middle of January, I was able to meet all tasks ahead. 1 CHAPTER-II PREPARATORY STEPS In a huge operation like the Census. a jurisdiction of I districts and subdivisions is comprehensive and proper planning have to be contemplated and their present jurisdictions are as initiated" well ahead of the scheduled time. that is. were in 1981. In 1991 there were then 5 distriCts. before three or four years of the census Operations. 10 subdivisions and 30 C.D. Blocks in the States. As Census is a time bound-programme. a Census The lowest admlrlistrative Unit is the CD. Block. Calendar has to be evolved giving the details of First Data Users Conference work to be completed on schedule. As a prepartOlY step for the 1991 Census. the The Registrar General. India in his letter No. Registrar General and Census "Commissioner. India dated 24th June. 1987 (Appendix 9j12i-87-CD(CEN) convened the First Data Users 'Conference at New I.1) had outlined the planning for the 1991 Census Delhi during April-lS-20. 1988 for evolving the relating to jurisdictional changes and list of villages census questionaires, concepts and methodology for which was the first and foremost thing to achieve a the 1991 Census. Various ministries/departments of complete coverage at the Census. a follow up As the Government of India. Planning Commission. action. this directorate issued a similar letter No. State Governments. Research Institutions, 1.11022/119/87-GENTA5. dated 24th August 1987 demographers. individual scholars and experts (Appendix-II) addressed to the Chief Secretary. attended the Conference. Several important Government of Meghalaya with a copy endorsed to suggestions made by the data users were taken into all Deputy Commissioners. Block Development consideration while deviSing the basic documents officers, etc. A list of villages C.D. Block-wise of like the individual slip. the household schedule and 1981 Census was also enclosed with the request to the houselist. update the lists as there may be jurisdictional changes in the administrative set-up after 1981. After the First Data Users' Conference. a pilot They were also requested to send copi~s of study was undertaken in some major states to Government notifications regarding creation of new assess the methodology and actual reaction to the administrattve units. sub-divisions. municipalities or questions in the field. The questionnaires were town committees and Development Blocks and confined to demographic, so.cial, cultural and delineating or modifying the areas or boundaries of economic characteristics of the population. The administrative units. Houselist was not canvassed during the pilot study. There was no such study in Meghalaya. Shortly after. the Registrar General. India in his letter No. 9/15/89-CD(CEN) dated 20th February. FIRST PRE-TEST 1989 (Appendix-1.6) stressed the need for fixity of After the pilot study, the first Pre-test was boundaries of administrative units during 1991 held in all states and Union Territories during Census Operations. A similar letter No. 1.11022/121/ September-October 1988. In addition to 88-GENTAB. dated 28th March 1989 (Appendix - demographic, social cultural and economic 11.2) to this effect was also issued by this characteristics.