New Delhi, Feb 1 (PTI) The Congress on Saturday said it is "highly disappointing" that Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman's Budget speech made no mention of releasing funds for the decadal population census.

The party pointed out that the government's failure to conduct the census on time has serious consequences on the state's administrative capabilities.

Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said this also means that the government will most certainly continue to avoid a socio-economic caste census.

"It is highly disappointing that the Finance Minister’s Budget Speech made no mention of releasing funds for the decadal Population Census that was supposed to have taken place in 2021, but has still not been conducted," Ramesh said in a post on X.

This is the first time since Independence that the government has failed to conduct a Census on time, he said.

"The consequences on the state's administrative capabilities are serious – one example being the 10-12 crore individuals who have been excluded from the ambit of the National Food Security Act/Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana.

"It also means that the Government will most certainly continue to avoid a Socio-Economic Caste Census," Ramesh said. PTI ASK RHL

Population census funding omitted in Budget, raising concerns over administrative data gaps and omission of socio-economic caste census. Failure to allocate Budgetary funds for the decadal Population Census has postponed the census and signals avoidance of a Socio-Economic Caste Census. The omission produces operative administrative consequences by generating data gaps that impair state planning and entitlement identification, leading to exclusion from welfare schemes under the National Food Security Act and related food distribution programmes.