High court directs authorities to consider plea of employee, 51, seeking exemption from census work

Bengaluru: The high court has directed the authorities to consider the representation submitted by a 51-year-old govt employee, requesting her exemption from the ongoing census work on the basis of her medical condition.

The govt employee, KS Sharadamna, submitted two representations on April 8 and 10, requesting exemption from discharging duties as a census enumerator in connection with the ensuing Census 2027 phase 1 operation. As no response was forthcoming, she approached the high court.

After perusing the materials on record, Justice Sachin Shankar Magadum noted that the petitioner has placed reliance on a medical certificate issued by the competent authority in the district hospital, wherein the attending doctor has opined that the petitioner is medically unfit to stand for prolonged periods and is also unable to walk long distances.

The duties attached to census work, more particularly house listing and enumeration, undeniably require extensive physical exertion, including prolonged standing, walking across designated areas, and undertaking door-to-door data collection. “This court cannot lose sight of the fact that census operations, though of paramount public importance, demand considerable physical endurance from the personnel engaged in such tasks. The material on record prima facie indicates that the petitioner has placed sufficient medical evidence before the authorities seeking exemption or appropriate relief,” the judge observed.