It’s Mandatory For Citizens To Part With Accurate Data During Surveys
You may soon have to give authentic socioeconomic data sought by the government. And if you don’t, you may be fined.
The Rajya Sabha on Friday finally passed an important legislation making it mandatory for citizens and commercial establishments to part with accurate information during the annual survey.
Accordingly, every individual in the country and private establishment will have to share desired information with a designated statistical officer, else they will have to pay penalty which may, in certain cases, extend up to Rs 10,000.
The Collection of Statistics Bill — introduced in the Upper House in 2007 — also provides for empowering the Central government to make rules for avoiding duplication and for maintaining technical standard in data collection, which is currently lacking during the annual survey in the absence of any legal backing. The Bill is likely to be taken up by the Lok Sabha next week.
Before pressing the House to pass the Bill, Union minister for statistics and programme implementation G K Vasan said: “The new law will have elaborate provisions to ensure that the information collected will not be used for any purpose other than for statistical purpose. Identities of individuals or companies will not be revealed to anyone during use/transfer of such data within government agencies which may need it for policy making.”
As against the existing law which only facilitates collection of statistics of certain kinds relating to industries, trade and commerce, the new law will empower the government to collect data on economic, demographic, social, scientific and environmental aspects of individuals and households. Though the government has been collecting such data under the National Sample Survey, it is done voluntarily.
Stating the purpose of such a legislation, Vasan said: “It is felt that the provisions of the current law are not adequate to meet the new challenges arising out of liberalisation and globalisation regime manifested by the World Trade Organisation (WTO) agreement.”
The Bill also has provision of empowering panchayats and municipalities to collect statistics through due procedures. Once the new law comes into force, the government will appoint a number of statistical officers for each subject of data collection at the district and block levels.
The legislation has been brought on the recommendation of the National Statistical Commission which had pitched for a law which could help the government in collecting credible data on time.
Source:-The Times of India Delhi 20 December 2008 P. 11
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