Shivamogga’s Deputy Commissioner, Gurudatta Hegde, has confirmed a significant milestone in the ongoing Social and Educational Survey, revealing that 35% of all households in the district have now been successfully enumerated. This extensive survey is being carried out by the Karnataka State Commission for Backward Classes.
During a press briefing on Tuesday, Mr. Hegde detailed the impressive pace of the survey. He noted that approximately 15 enumerators have already completed their assigned tasks, with the team collectively covering over 52,000 households daily. By the end of Tuesday, a remarkable 2.2 lakh out of the district’s total 4.9 lakh houses would have been surveyed.
Addressing initial hurdles, the Deputy Commissioner highlighted that the mobile-based applications used for data collection have stabilized, and the process for generating one-time passwords (OTPs) has significantly improved. “Thanks to these technical issues being resolved, our enumerators are now able to complete up to 52,000 households in a single day,” Mr. Hegde explained. He also mentioned the crucial involvement of 4,500 enumerators, a majority of whom are dedicated teachers.
When questioned about potential resistance, Mr. Hegde acknowledged around 50 instances where families declined to participate. He clarified, “We are not compelling anyone to share information. In such cases, enumerators are simply collecting declaration forms from these individuals.”
Overcoming Network Challenges
Mr. Hegde also addressed the slower progress in areas with poor network connectivity. To counteract this, officials have strategically established about 120 camps near government schools or panchayat offices. Enumerators will utilize these camps to efficiently collect data from residents in those remote locations.
In a gesture of appreciation, Mr. Hegde, alongside MLC Balkhees Banu, honored five teachers from Shivamogga taluk for their outstanding work in completing the household enumeration assigned to them.