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.

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.

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.