Fearing Data Collection, Some Indore Residents Oppose Survey Of TB Patients

Amid the controversy over the proposed National Register of Citizens (NRC), workers of the Madhya Pradesh Health Department were stopped from conducting a survey of TB patients in an Indore locality. People of Khajrana area opposed the survey being conducted by ASHA (Accredited Social Health Activist) workers fearing that it was a veiled attempt to get citizenship-related data, officials said on Thursday. ASHA workers were carrying out a survey in Ilyas Colony of Khajrana area to find out if there were any untreated tuberculosis patients, an official said.

District TB Officer Dr BL Kaushal confirmed the incident. "Initially, the residents of Khajrana cooperated with us. But two days ago some residents started opposing it due to some misunderstanding," Kaushal said. "We do not want to give too much importance to this one incident," he said, adding that for the time being survey was stopped in the area.

The survey for TB patients began in Indore district from February 17 and will continue till March 3, he said. The Muslim-dominated Khajrana is one of the areas in the city which have seen protests against the proposed NRC and National Population Register (NPR) along with the Citizenship (Amendment) Act. Amulya Nidhi, a social worker who works in the health sector, said, "The Health Department should take the residents into confidence and complete the survey, so that no TB patient is denied treatment.