After 20 years ...:
First post-conflict census to be conducted
By Ranil WIJAYAPALA
Having the correct impression about the country’s population and
basic information about it is vital for a country, whether it be
development purposes or for any other purpose. Although the registration
of births and deaths enables us to get a rough idea about the population
count this is not enough to get the current information regarding each
and every citizen in the country.
As a country which is moving fast on the road to development, the
availability of accurate information about the population is vital to
take critical decisions with regard to the future of the country, such
information is vital at this juncture as Sri Lanka has not witnessed a
proper census for three decades, though it has a long history of
Censuses.

A Census Department official clarifying a point to President
Mahinda Rajapaksa |
The necessity of having a correct idea about its population has
become paramount as it has risen from the ashes of conflict that
engulfed the country for more than three decades, putting its population
mostly in the Northern and Eastern parts in total disarray.
With the shadows of conflict fading away, nearly two years after the
completion of the humanitarian operation, the Department of Census and
Statistics is now getting ready to fill the vacuum that was created due
to the absence of a proper Census for three decades by conducting a
fresh and complete Census covering the entire island.
According to A.H.R. Gunasekera though the country is about to witness
a Census after three decades, Sri Lanka had a proper, scientific Census
way back in 1871.
“Since then a Census was conducted once in ten years. That was the
usual practice. But there had been disturbances during some years. For
example in 1941, a Census was not conducted due to disturbances in the
country and that Census was conducted in 1946. Thereafter, the next
Census was conducted in 1953.” Gunasekera added.
Though Sri Lanka conducted a Census in 1946 and 1963, the usual
practice across the globe was to conduct a Census on a year ending with
digit 1. “Usually most of the countries took a Census in the years
ending with digit 1, but there is no hard and fast rule though it was
practised in that manner earlier”, he added.

A.H.R. Gunasekera |
However, Sri Lanka too reverted to that tradition by conducting the
next Census in 1971. “Then we stuck to that pattern once again from 1971
and the next Census was conducted in 1981”, Gunasekera added.
The 1981 Census was the last fully conducted Census in Sri Lanka.
“In 1991 we could not conduct a Census though we planned to do it. We
could not do it at all. In 2001 though there were problematic situation
in the country we thought of conducting a Census as we could not conduct
a Census in 20 years. We planned a Census for the whole island but
unfortunately, we could conduct a complete Census only in 18 districts
out of the 25 administrative districts in the country,” he added.
Officials could not conduct a Census fully in the North East. Only
the Ampara district was covered fully in the Eastern province. In other
districts, in the Eastern Province, the Census was conducted partially.
In the districts of Mullaitivu and Kilinochchi a Census was not
conducted at all as these two districts were under LTTE control at that
time.
“Due to the deficiency in the 2001 Census, we are going to cover the
entire island in the 2011 Census. This will be the first post conflict
Census to be conducted in Sri Lanka”, he added.
“Lot of data about some parts of the country are lacking and there is
a lot of enthusiasm from district administrators to collect data in the
respective areas and the entire country is waiting for the Census to be
conducted,” Gunasekera added.
According to Gunasekera, though the country is not aware the Census
2011 has already completed its first phase and reached its second phase,
when the Grama Niladari (GN) of Colombo Fort pastes a label bearing the
number 0001 on the official residence of the President to commence the
building and housing Census.
From then onwards Grama Niladaris all over the island will visit each
and every building in the country to make the Census a proper and
accurate one.
Prior to the commencement of the second phase, the Census Department
conducted a mapping out operation.
“We did maps on district boundaries, divisional secretariat
boundaries, Grama Niladari boundaries and village boundaries. Within
those villages we drew Census blocks,” he added.
Census blocks are the smallest enumeration areas and it has
approximately 150 building blocks which may include not only houses but
also buildings, hostels or any other offices. We had to demarcate
housing units, collective living quarters and non housing units in
Census blocks. That was the first step and we have already completed
this phase of the Census,” he added.
So the Census Department has maps for all the GN Divisions and also
for all the Census blocks countrywide, that is around 65,000 maps in
all.
“The purpose of drawing these maps is to make sure that no house and
building unit is missed in the Census and to capture the population
accurately without any omission or any duplication,” he added.
“The next stage which is going on now is the listing of all the
buildings. That is done by Grama Niladaris under the supervision of the
Divisional Secretaries and statistics officers attached to each
Divisional Secretariat offices,” he said.
According to the Census Ordinance for each district, District
Secretaries are appointed as the Commissioner of Census for the
district. The Divisional secretary becomes the Deputy Commissioner in
charge of each Divisional Secretariat area whilst Assistant Divisional
Secretaries are appointed as Assistant Commissioners.
“For this we use the Local Government Administrative system. The
Department of Census and Statistics provides the necessary guidelines
and at district level they are the people who handle the Census,”
Gunasekera added.
The Grama Niladaris also become a vital partner in the Census.
At the building listing stage the Grama Niladari visits each and
every building in the Division and then gives a unique number starting
with 001 from a suitable place. Then they will fix a red label on the
selected building. The Grama Niladari should decide to which building he
should give these numbers. After giving the number and fixing a label
the Grama Niladari will fill a listing form with basic information about
the building, the address, the names of the householders, whether they
are living there or whether there is any cultivation or whether any
economic activity was taking place.
“If it is a residence they will mention that it is a residence and if
it is an office, they will say it is an office,” he added.
The idea is to get a frame. “In the mapping stage we identified the
areas and here each and every building is listed in the frame. This
stage will be completed before the April 30, he added.
“We have given all the instructions to Grama Niladaris to do the
listing operation. A few days after the listing operation, the Grama
niladaris are supposed to come to the Divisional Secretariat and discuss
the operation and about the problems they faced. That process will help
us to streamline the process and to rectify the mistakes,”he added.
After the completion of the listing of buildings, the Census will
reach the enumeration stage. “Census officials will visit every house
and get details of the household through a questionnaire. It is called
the enumeration stage and this will be done this year, after the
completion of the listing stage,” he added.
At the enumeration stage one officer will be appointed for each
Census block to fill the questionnaire. Grama Niladaris amounting to
14,000 are not sufficient for this task and at Divisional Secretary
level they will appoint government officers, educated youth who have
completed at least the Advanced Level and unemployed graduates for this
purpose.
“Under the Census Ordinance they have the authority to appoint
enumerators. Once they are appointed they will be thoroughly trained as
to how to fill the detailed questionnaire covering many areas,” he
added.
“At the second stage and the third stage we expect public cooperation
to be given to the Grama Niladaris and Census officers coming to the
houses and also not to remove the label pasted on the buildings until
the Census is completed. They should permit officers to come and paste
the label. They should give correct and accurate information to Census
Officers. The label should be there until the Census is over and also
after, because we are conducting post enumeration to see the
completeness of the Census,”he added.
For those who had internally migrated from one district to another,
the Department has formulated different questions. But within the
district this is not a problem.
“As far as external migrations are concerned we do the enumeration
based on the usual residences. Usual residence means people should live
there continuously for six months or intend to live six months. For
example someone who had come to a place for two months and expect to
live there for another six months will be counted as having lived
there,”he added.
If people are living abroad for more than six months they are not
residents. They are not counted in the Census. “But we have another
question, about those who are abroad for more than six months for
employment, study or long-term study. But those who are living
permanently abroad are not accounted for,” he added.
After the enumeration the results will be published at different
stages.
“We will publish district level total population and the total
population as soon as the Census is over, may be within a few days or a
few weeks,”he added.
Based on the enumeration abstracts, the Census and Statistics
Department will have to prepare summary sheets and based on the summary
sheets the Department will issue basic information and detail table at
district level. Through the Census Ordinance, citizens of this country
are bound to provide correct and accurate information to enumerators. At
the same time enumerators are also bound not to divulge any individual
information to anybody.
Amendments were brought to the 1901 Census Ordinance to increase the
fine those who are proved guilty of providing incorrect information to
enumerators.
“If any body breaches the Census Ordinance they can be produced
before Courts and be prosecuted. If somebody refuses to give information
or deliberately gives false information and if he is found guilty, he or
she can be imprisoned for six months and can be fined. The fine has been
increased to Rs. 50,000,”he added.
“We are getting the fullest support from the public and only as a
final resort we are making use of this clause of the Census Ordinance”,
he added.
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