GUWAHATI: The United Garo Autonomous Council Movement Committee (UGACMC) has deferred the completion date of the census of the Garo population in Assam by about two months, with the state government asking the committee to carry out mapping of the areas inhabited by the community.
According to the committee, chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal had last month met the UGACMC leaders in Goalpara and asked them to also include mapping in the ambit of the census.
“We have so far covered 21 districts in the state with certain limitations, including manpower constraint, slowing the pace of work in the other 12 districts. Besides, the chief minister had met us on November 20 and asked us to carry out mapping, which will consume more time to complete the census,” UGACMC (Assam state) general secretary, Thengsil Sangma told The Shillong Times on Thursday.
The census has so far listed 55942 households in 919 Garo-inhabited villages of Assam across 21 districts with a population of 5, 10,563, of which 2, 59,349 are female and 2, 51214 male.
“Once we cover all the 33 districts, the population figure is likely to push the 10lakh mark or even go beyond,” Sangma said.
The 2001 population census puts the figure of Garo community in Assam at 1.37lakh.
This is the first-of-its-kind census-cum-survey on the population and socio-economic status of the Garo community in Assam, which claims to be the second largest ethnic tribe in the state, after the Bodo community.
“As of now, we have 25 persons involved in this massive exercise, which apparently has been a limitation from the outset. Currently, we have spent Rs 2.81 lakh, but we assume it should go beyond Rs 5lakh once we complete the mapping work,” he said.
The comprehensive survey is also examining and analysing the education (including statistics on graduates, postgraduates) and infrastructure scenario in the Garo-inhabited areas of Assam.
“The education survey is almost complete. So, hopefully, we should submit the final report, by the end of the winter season,” Sangma said.
The census-cum-survey is expected to lend momentum to the long-pending demand for a separate autonomous council for the Garo community in the state, which the council believes will pave the way for progress in the hitherto underdeveloped Garo inhabited areas of the state.
The demand for a separate autonomous council was first raised by the committee since the community was accorded Scheduled Tribe status in the plain districts of Assam in the year 2003.