Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru

Bengaluru, Mar 23: A Public Interest Litigation (PIL) has been filed in the Karnataka High Court to postpone implementation of National Population Register (NPR). Bengaluru-based law firm Precinct Legal represented by Shahbaaz Husain along with four others has filed the PIL, citing health risk posed to enumerators by the outbreak and rapid spread of COVID-19.

The census and controversial NPR was scheduled to begin in Karnataka on April 15. The information was to be collected by enumerators, who were directed to go door-to-door to collect details. According to The News Minute, the PIL highlighted, “The orders issued by the Government of Karnataka to the enumerators, directing them to carry out the census and NPR updation exercise, infringes upon the right to health of the enumerators."

Also, it pointed out that BBMP violated its own orders against public gatherings. On March 16, BBMP had held a meeting with 350 Census and NPR enumerators in Bengaluru’s Town Hall.

The PIL further states that NPR enumerators have to go door-to-door. Some of the households may have people under quarantine. The NPR exercise not just puts the health of enumerators at risk but also of
public at large. The petition claimed that if the exercise is postponed by a few months, it will not incur government any sort of financial loss.

Court has said that it will take it up in normal course as the government is not immediately implementing the NPR.