Kochi: The Kerala government is yet to finish the Ease of Living Survey even though the Centre had enjoined it eight months ago. The work on the survey which has to be completed by July 31 has just begun even as the authorities are confronted with staff crunch and COVID-19 curbs.
The Ministry of Rural Development is spearheading a nationwide survey on the delivery of basic services. The survey is aimed at finding out rural families living in deprivation and to determine the beneficiaries for granting special benefits and assistance.
The information is to be gathered from among the people who were included in the Socio-Economic Caste Census, 2011. While most of the states completed the survey months ago and provided the details to the central government, it is alleged that Kerala deliberately delayed the process over political goals.
The details of about 15 lakh people have to be gathered as part of the survey in Kerala.
Initially, the government had decided to get the survey work done by Economics and Statistics department but at the last minute, the responsibility was entrusted with the Rural Development department. However, the data entry task remained with the Economics and Statistics Department.
Staff crunch and issues on the ground
Village Extension Officers (VEOs) who have been fixed as enumerators are responsible for gathering the information at the panchayat level. Only 15 days have been given to them for completing the exercise. There are only two or three VEOs in the majority of the panchayats in the state. They have to gather details of a minimum of 2,000 persons.
On average, there are at least 1.500 persons without a residential address in each panchayat. First, these persons have to be traced, get a questionnaire with 38 questions and sub-questions filled by them and then prepare a list of these people.
The employee organisations of the Rural Development department claim the task is not at all practical.
Besides, the authorities have directed that in view of the COVID-19 situation in the state house-to-house data collection exercise should be avoided; instead, the services of peoples representatives, Kudmumbasree workers and ASHA personnel should be taken. However, officials associated with the survey say that this alternative is also not practical.
