Srinagar, Apr 14: After old Srinagar, police have now begun a census operation in various localities of civil lines here, despite the fact that these areas had almost remained peaceful during the 2010 unrest.
 Police admitted that census was being carried out and termed it as “modern concept” of policing, a step to ease out the problems of locals and easy way to track down criminals.
 The census is being carried out in the areas falling under Superintendent of Police (SP) south Srinagar. The cops are distributing forms in various localities of civil lines, including Barzulla, Hyderpora, Bypass, Jawaharnagar, Rajbagh and Peerbagh.
 Questioning the rationale of police to undertake such exercise when they (the residents) had faced more queries in different rounds of Census conducted by the Census department, they term it as sheer harassment to draw public ire in those places where there were no reports of violence in 2010.
 “This is absurd and without logic. The mere sight of policemen visiting the households is worrisome and then the census by it is shocking,” said G M Bhat, of Hyderpora, near flyover. “The census department has already carried out two rounds of census.”
 For the residents the exercise is also something new and was bringing worries for them. “ This is for the first time I have seen police carrying census in such a way,” said Abdul Razzak, 50, of Barzulla. “I am unable to understand the purpose cops visiting households.”
 Another Hyderpora resident Ishfaq Ahmad said that his locality did not witness stone pelting and street protest during 2010 and he was unable to understand the purpose of census. “During 2010, our locality remained peaceful,” Ishfaq added. 
 The form being distributed has title “Census Form” witch has eight columns.
 In the column, the residents have to provide the details, about the head of the family, his parentage, occupation, educational qualification, present address, permanent address, contact numbers (Land line, Mobile) and details about other members of the family.
 Besides this information, the family heads have been asked to furnish details about his affiliation with any educational/religious/ philanthropic institution.
 On the back side of the form, there is a column for tenants living in Srinagar. In the column pertaining to the details of tenants they have to give the details about their children with their occupation and qualification.
 In addition the tenants have been also been asked to furnish the details about his permanent and alternate accommodations.
 In Srinagar district this was the second phase of census. Earlier the census operation was carried out in volatile old city where cops noted complete details of families and tenants and carried out the filming of residential houses.
 Insiders in police said that exercise has been undertaken particularly in areas which have been on forefront for street protests during the 2010 unrest. They added that efforts were also being made to keep a check on tenants living in rented homes to ensure that non-state elements are unable to establish a base in Srinagar. The census, according to insiders in police would also help law enforcing agencies to track down any person at any given time.
 The information provided by the residents is fed into computers in police stations and presently most of the new recruits in police have been assigned the job of digitalization of data.
 Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Srinagar Syed Ashiq Hussain Bukhari told Greater Kashmir that census was being carried in uptowns of Srinagar and there was nothing to worry. He added that the census operation has almost been competed in old Srinagar and termed it new concept of policing.
  The SSP said that the information is getting digitalized.  “Now if anybody needs verification, it would be handy for him or her in police stations as the records are digitalized,” he said. “It will also help us to track down the people involved in criminal activities.”

Lastupdate on : Sat, 14 Apr 2012 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Sat, 14 Apr 2012 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Sun, 15 Apr 2012 00:00:00 IST