Circulars go full circle

Circulars go full circle
HERALD REPORTER
MARGAO, MARCH 31 
The decennial Census 2011 gets underway in the State from April 1, but confusion prevails amongst the government employees drafted for census duties whether they are supposed to put in duties for entire 45 days or alternate days or before or after office hours.
In Salcete taluka, around 800-odd employees on Wednesday collected their census material from the district collectorate building, but they were unaware when they should report for regular duties every alternate days or complete the census work in alternate days.
The confusion is compounded by the fact that the deputy collector, Margao Johnson Fernandes had initially stated that employees drafted for the census work are required to work on alternate days, ie one day work on the field and the next day in the office of their respective department.
Then came a circular issued by the District Collector, South G P Naik who clearly stated that the concerned staff should complete the census work before or after hours and on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays.
When contacted, Naik admitted that he had issued the circular dated March 26, but now say the Chief Secretary will issue fresh directions to the employees requisitioned for the census work when to report for regular duties and to go on the field. “I have briefed the Chief Secretary on the situation. Fresh guidelines may come anytime from now”, he said.
Incidentally, when the Salcete Mamlatdar, Paresh Faldessai was contacted to throw light on the Collector’s circular, he feigned ignorance of any such circular, adding that the employees will have to work on alternate days.
Heads of department feel the confusion would result in absenteeism of the employees requisitioned for census work from the office on the pretext they are on census duty. As it is, many a department has been left with only skeleton staff to manage the day-to-day affairs with majority of the employees requisitioned for the census work.
The Census authorities have requisitioned the enumerators and supervisors drafted for the census work from the state government, autonomous bodies and from local bodies such as primary school teachers, revenue officials, clerks and UDCs from Municipalities and Panchayat offices, Asst teachers from secondary schools, statistical investigators and statistical assistants and head clerks.