NEW DELHI: In an outreach to states that have expressed reservations against the proposed updation of National Population Register (NPR), the registrar general of India and census commissioner is likely to visit these states in the coming days and meet their chief ministers or senior representatives to personally allay their concerns.A start was made by RGI and census commissioner Vivek Joshi who met Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh on Friday to apprise him of the houselisting phase of Census 2021 as well as NPR updation proposed to be done simultaneously between April and September this year. Sources indicated that Joshi may soon visit other states opposing NPR or those seeking modifications in the NPR form to drop the new questions relating to date and place of parents’ birth as well as mother tongue.Some of the states that Joshi may visit are Kerala, West Bengal, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. During each of these visits, he will try to reach out to the chief ministers or senior state representatives to explain the legal position regarding NPR; utility of the exercise for formulation and targeting of state-specific welfare schemes; how sharing data on NPR fields is voluntary for the respondent who does not need to show any documents; and that no NRC is planned as of now.While Kerala has decided that it will skip NPR exercise but cooperate with conduct of census, West Bengal has put the NPR exercise on hold. Congress-ruled states like Punjab, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh have objected to the new questions on date and birth of parents. Even Odisha and Bihar have suggested that these questions be dropped from NPR form.Sources said that while NPR manual and draft form have been finalised, these are yet to be printed. The format will be forwarded to the states around mid-March and printing the NPR form will be the states’ responsibility. The form — which does not need to be notified — has 23 fields of information, an undertaking that the information declared is true to the best of belief and knowledge of respondent, as well as disclaimer that nationality as declared will not confer any right to Indian citizenship. However, the penalty clause for giving false information may not figure in the new form.There is apprehension within the government that some of the controversial fields of information being sought for the first time in NPR 2020 may be returned as blank by a large number of residents, especially in states like West Bengal. Also, the states may advise enumerators not to seek information on these fields in the interest of their safety. There is also an underlying fear that NPR controversy may affect the census exercise, with many residents refusing to properly answer census questionnaire. This will adversely affect accuracy of census data, said an officer.