MADURAI
“Field-level officers must be vigilant and patient while collecting data. They should ensure that accurate information is collected so that policies can be framed accordingly,” said N. Manivannan, Deputy Commissioner of Madurai Corporation.
He was speaking at a regional training camp for officers as part of the 77th round of national sample survey on ‘Land and livestock holding of households and situation assessment of agricultural households and debt and investment’ as well as the ‘Time use survey’.
Rohit Naagar, Assistant Director, National Sample Survey Organisation (FOD), said that the full-fledged survey would aim to assess the land holdings and their socio-economic backgrounds.
It would also provide data on livestock which is pertinent for laying policy for Centre-sponsored schemes. “We will also be assessing the participation of men and women in paid and unpaid activities,” he said.
Addressing a gathering of at least 50 field-level officers, the Deputy Commissioner stated that training and refresher courses are necessary for officers working on the field as it would help them become updated.
E. Chinnamari, Regional Joint Director, Directorate of Economics and Statistics (DES), Government of Tamil Nadu, said that their department found that landholdings belonging to people from Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes were slowing.
Basing this on preliminary results of the State’s 10th agricultural census, the RJD said that this was because of urbanisation and fragmentation.
He also added with natural calamities disrupting day-to-day lives of farmers, there was a hike in suicide rates and disbursal of crop loans.
“Field-level officers may not get proper answers from farm labourers. However, one must take steps to make them understand the importance of the census to preserve accuracy,” he said.
