In what is turning out to be an embarrassment for the district administration, Dakshina Kannada is the only district not to have completed the economic census. Not only have officials missed the deadlines, the progress so far has not even reached the half-way mark.
Revealing the sore points during the review meeting here on Thursday, District Statistical Officer N.K. Nagendra said out of 3,930 census blocks (roughly 150 households each), only 1,698 blocks have given data — or just around 43.2 per cent.
The census catalogues private enterprises in nearly 22 sectors, and once enumerated will reflect the economic health of the region. The last economic survey was conducted in 2005, and so, the results from this economic survey will show the extent of increase in the number of private entrepreneurs, he said.
With just 6.67 per cent of the survey completed, Belthangady taluk has the worst figures. Though, the work is almost complete in MCC, Mangalore rural has finished 14 per cent of the work. Mr. Nagendra blamed the Tahsildars for not conducting routine meetings and monitoring the progress with supervisors and enumerators.
A visibly irritated Deputy Commissioner of Dakshina Kannada A.B. Ibrahim asked the Tahsildars to expedite the enumeration, and upload the forms before month end.
