Counting Out: 2nd chance soon for locked houses in Bengaluru, but residents point to gaps in census

Bengaluru: Residents across several neighbourhoods of Bengaluru left out from the ongoing national census need not panic. GBA officials have clarified that households missed during the housing enumeration phase will be covered in the second phase.

The assurance has done little to quell the frustration of many citizens and resident welfare associations (RWAs). Entire streets and residential blocks (apartment complexes) were overlooked, leaving families excluded from a process that forms the basis for crucial policy decisions and allocation of govt resources.

The window for self-enumeration exercise was open from April 1 to 15, while door-to-door enumeration was carried out from April 16 to May 15.

The omissions have prompted residents to question the authenticity and reliability of the data collected. Several residents have pointed to inconsistencies in the process, including inadequate verification and poor coordination.

“Our apartment building was never visited by any census field staff,” said Anand R, a senior citizen from Jayanagar 4th T Block. “I heard several houses have been marked ‘door locked’. I have been at home for a few months recovering from a surgery. But none came to our building for the exercise. We were unable to complete the self-enumeration because the window provided was too short.”

A similar situation was reported from Manyata Residency in north Bengaluru. A resident said, “Enumerators appear to have visited just 30-40 of more than 200 houses in our complex. Even in the enumerated houses, residents said data collection was carried out by college students and many of them lacked basic communication skills. When residents raised objections, supervisors had to step in. Additionally, several residents who had completed self-enumeration found their data could not be retrieved on devices carried by the field staff.”

“The situation is no different in our area,” said Susheela Rai, a resident of Judicial Layout II Phase in Talaghattapura, south Bengaluru. “During the state census, enumerators visited our apartment and collected details. But not this time. When we contacted the authorities, we were told the portal had already been shut. I fail to understand why we have been left out when members of our family are at home throughout the day.”

Census director Ramachandran admitted some households may have been missed during the exercise, but stressed that residents need not worry as they would be covered during the next phase of census operations.

He clarified that the enumeration portal has been frozen and no fresh entries could be made at this stage. According to him, authorities will take up complaints to ensure better coverage in the next phase. Ramachandran noted census teams used digital mapping, satellite imagery and layout maps to minimise omissions. Households were expected to be numbered, irrespective of whether they were occupied or locked.

While maintaining that Bengaluru had performed better than many other regions, he admitted that achieving complete coverage in a city of this scale remains a challenge. “The objective is to ensure omissions remain minimal and are addressed in the subsequent phase,” he said.