7th Economic Census: Five districts underperform

Our Correspondent
Kohima, Feb. 4 (EMN): The chief secretary and chairman of State Level Coordination Committee (SLCC), Temjen Toy convened a meeting on 7th Economic Census at Chief Secretary Conference room, Secretariat, Kohima on Tuesday.

The meeting was convened to discuss matters concerning latest district-wise survey updates, erroneous payment of commission by the CSC e-Governance Services India Ltd. into the bank accounts of the Supervisors of the 7th Economic Census and the difficulties faced by the deputy commissioners.

Commissioner and Secretary of IT KD Vizo briefed on the status of the ongoing 7th Economic Census across the state during the meeting, saying that five districts namely Dimapur, Kohima, Mokokchung, Phek and Peren were not performing very well and that at current pace, they might not be able to complete the census which is supposed to be completed by March 31 this year.

However, other districts like Mon, Tuensang, Wokha, Zunheboto, Kiphire and Longleng are said to be performing very well.

The commissioner and secretary economic and statistics, Kelei Zeliang also spoke on the “fund position” of the ongoing economic status. He said that the ministry of CSC eGovernance Services India Ltd. released two instalments amounting to 40% of net payable amount. However, the ministry released fund only for the residential supervisor and enumerators and not for the ‘residential cum commercial’ and ‘commercial’ for both supervisors and enumerators.

Zeliang stated that the ministry also released the fund after deduction of income tax even though Nagaland is exempted from income tax. And for all these reasons, no payment to the supervisors and enumerators could be made so far, he informed.

He, therefore, requested the chief secretary, who is also the chairman of the committee, to write to the DCs of the non-performing five districts to accelerate the ongoing census work and also to the ministry to release the amount for both commercial and residential; and that Nagaland should be exempted from income tax.

Temjen Toy assured the committee members that necessary action would be taken and letters would be intimated to the ministry as well as the deputy commissioners of the five underperforming districts.

The SLCC members include chief secretary, commissioner and secretary industries and commerce, commissioner and secretary rural development, commissioner and secretary IT, labour commissioner, director industry and commerce, director IPR, director IT, director economic and statistic, DDG, state regional officer, NSSO (FOD) l, joint director and nodal officer 7th Economic Census, economic and statistics.