KCR's 'superhit' survey: Efficient surveyors impress people of Telangana

The comprehensive household survey conducted across India’s 29th State, Telangana, proved to be a super hit on Tuesday, if one has to go by the words of Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao. It was, indeed, a big hit with people, for the survey avoided any contentious questions like details of nativity, bank accounts and property documents. No questions that amount to infringing on the personal space of people or intimidating them about a possible stoppage of benefits were asked by the surveyors. Life came to a grinding halt in Telangana on Tuesday with no service functioning whatsoever and roads wearing a deserted look. [caption id=“attachment_1673357” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  K Chandrshekhar Rao. AFP[/caption] The survey questionnaire did not have the Questions 21, 22 and 23 in the ‘Division-I’ which were meant to deal with eliciting information on the nativity. The special box with a headline specifically mentioning “the details of those who migrated from other states” was completely eliminated in the questionnaire. The questions published in the proforma released by the government earlier through social media and newspaper websites had these questions seeking to know these details (21. From which State have you come? 22. Language spoken, and 23. Year of migration). Plus, the surveyors were mostly students drawn from undergraduate classes to research scholars in various colleges and universities respectively, apart from employees drawn from various government departments. As if they were trained in protocol and etiquette, the surveyors conducted themselves in the most affable manner which stumped the people. Social media sites, Facebook and Twitter were abuzz with survey experiences by the targets. Most apprehensions and misgivings of people were dispelled once the interaction began and the surveyors walked several extra miles while verifying the forms even late in the night and calling up people to elicit information that was missed out by the field surveyors. Some people treated the surveyors to breakfasts, beverages like coffee and tea, and some with lunches. Popular support and cooperation came forth as the surveyors explained that the targets could choose to avoid any question that was inconvenient to them. Though questions on religion, caste and social status — SC, ST, OBC, etc — were customarily encapsulated as part of the questionnaire, the surveyors told the people that they could choose to skip the same. However, those deriving benefits from the government owing to their social grouping furnished the relevant information. Most middle class families were happy that the government’s initiative could indirectly help them take out all important documents like property deeds, tax receipts, water tax, LPG connection details, PAN cards, Adhar cards, bank details and many other relevant papers and secure them all at one place. Numerous social media enthusiasts acknowledged the same on their timelines. Even joint families felt reassured regarding the LPG connections irrespective of number of families living under the same premises. ESL Narasimhan, Governor of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, furnished the details to Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) Commissioner Somesh Kumar’s team, marking the launch of the survey in the morning. Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, who lives with his wife and the family of his son and IT Minister of Telangana KT Rama Rao in the Chief Minister’s camp office, provided all the details to the Commissioner’s team. The telecast of the enumeration of the Chief Minister’s family details emboldened the joint families who enthusiastically shared their information with the surveyors. Officials collected information from the residence of Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, where the answers were provided by a Secretary, as Naidu’s family members — he, his wife, son and daughter-in-law — were not present at that time. The two Chief Ministers, indeed, indirectly encouraged the concept of joint families among the society. Ministers, celebrities, politicians, officials, and industrialists all took part with enthusiasm. Reports suggested that film actor Pawan Kalyan, a star campaigner for TDP and BJP during elections, and former MP Vijayashanthi declined to participate in the survey. Interestingly, people began making calls to the phone numbers furnished by the team leads of survey, who visited the households as part of pre-survey two days before, to enquire as to when they would go over to their respective houses for survey. With no proofs of mobile bills, or Adhar cards or copies of any documents being demanded by the surveyors, the people heaved a sigh of relief, as a large number of them could not keep the photo copies ready. The surveyors did not even ask about the ration cards. Commissioner of the GHMC Somesh Kumar said that the ration card details were not sought with a definite intention of dispelling the misgivings of the people that the survey was intended at weeding out ration cards. While the statistical data is expected to be computed once the same is entered in about 15 days, there still are a few lose ends. Several colonies and people were not covered under the enumeration. At some places, the people in the colony were asked to form a queue and furnish the details as the surveyors positioned themselves at one place. The government will give a second chance to cover those who missed out, said the Chief Minister. The pre-survey visit by teams on 17 and 18 August indicated that the total number of households in the State Capital were far beyond the expectations. While the official estimates based on property tax data pegged the total number at 16.96 lakh, the rough estimate put it at 19.31 lakh (an excess of 14 percent). Accordingly, the GHMC ordered 20 lakh survey forms. However, the pre-survey revealed that there are a whopping 25 lakh households in the GHMC area and the population could be around 1.20 crore. The estimated number of families across Telangana was 99,41,000, while 3.70 lakh enumerators were deployed for collecting the information. However, the Chief Minister expects that the actual information would outnumber the estimates. However, KCR’s remarks with a journalists that “we would know what a person is all about from the parameters incorporated in the questionnaire, though you may not be able to make out what it is,” left every one guessing.