By IANS,
Kolkata: Disabled people should not hide their disabilities and help the enumerators to prepare correct census data to enable the government to effectively implement the projects for them, an official said Friday.
“According to 2001 census, 22 million people are estimated to be differently abled, while in West Bengal the figure accounts for 2 million, which is just 2.3 per cent of the total population of the state. But while issuing certificates it was found that there were several anomalies in the data. So, a proper census is needed immediately,” said Assistant Disability Commissioner Ketaki Ranjan Adhikari.
“If a proper census could be prepared with the exact figure and category, it will help the government to initiate effective projects for the differently abled persons according to their category,” said Adhikari while addressing a seminar ‘Development, Rights and Disability’ organised by the states’ Disability Activists Forum (DAF) here at the Book Fair.
The census will be conducted between Feb 9 and 28 across the country and there will be a separate question in the questionnaire for the disabled.
However, no certificates for proving their disabilities are required while filling the questionnaire, he said.
“A workshop will be organised during that first week of February to help the differently abled persons and their guardians to interact with the enumerators freely while filling the census form,” a DAF office-bearer said.