Kolkata: Launching the 2027 Census in Bengal on Saturday, CM Suvendu Adhikari said the status of those excluded from the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls remain under consideration, saying the guidelines were clear but stopping short of stating whether they would be reflected in the population count.“I cannot say at this stage what their status will be. Of the 27 lakh names deleted after adjudication, only 7 lakh have filed appeals. It remains to be seen whether those who did not claim voter status will now claim citizenship. Once the self-enumeration process and the door-to-door survey are complete, we will assess the data and then be able to say something,” he said.The Census directorate, however, clarified that enumeration is independent of the electoral roll exercise and that, under census rules, every person present in the country, including foreign nationals, is counted.Census 2027 kicked off in Kolkata and the rest of Bengal on Saturday with Adhikari keying in details about himself, his homes and his family on the census website as part of the self enumeration process which will continue till Aug 15.“This work was given priority by our govt. The Census Authority officials here had approached the Governor, me, and other constitutional functionaries, requesting that we hold a small event to launch it so that a message reaches the public and people become aware of it. The honourable Governor is probably in Delhi. The Resident Commissioner will facilitate it there,” said Adhikari while completing the process at the Old Irrigation Bungalow in Salt Lake.Speaking about the deleted voters after SIR, he said that among 60 lakh people who were adjudged deceased or otherwise did not make any claim.“Among those whose cases were adjudicated, a number of names were included before the election following directions of the Supreme Court. Finally, 27 lakhs deleted. The SC had directed that tribunals be constituted through the high court. As far as I know— I do not have the exact data with me right now, but since I am part of the administrative team, I have to keep track of developments — around 7 lakh have filed appeals, while about 20 lakh have not responded,” he said. “It will have to be seen whether those who did not themselves claim voter status will now claim citizenship. When the self-enumeration is over or when our officials finish the house-to-house survey, we will assess the situation and then be able to say something.”“Under Census rules, every individual present in the country — even a foreigner — will be enumerated, irrespective of citizenship status,” said Nikhil Pawan Kalyan, the Census director.Adhikari nevertheless underlined that citizenship would determine eligibility for welfare benefits. “Only citizens are entitled to the benefits of development. From welfare schemes and employment to vaccination, govts are accountable to the citizens of India,” he said.He also sought to distinguish between illegal immigrants and refugees while responding to questions on demographic concerns.
