Hyderabad: The first of its kind intensive household survey in Telangana state has evoked such an overwhelming response from the people that a jubilant Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao described it a “super hit” and declared another general holiday on Wednesday as a mark of gratitude for the employees.

As only 91 per cent households could be covered until midnight last night, the government also ordered continuation of survey on second day in Hyderabad and Warangal district.

The decision was taken in view of the large scale complaints from the people, specially in Hyderabad that enumerators did not turn up at their houses for taking the details.

Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation commissioner Somehs Kumar ordered the officials to cover all the colonies and localities today which could not be completed yesterday.

State Chief Secretary Rajiv Sharma said that district collectors were authorised to take a decision on second day survey keeping in view the local situations. As Warangal had recorded only 86 per cent registration of households on the first day, the collector decided to continue the survey today.

Mehbubnagar was the highest with 99 per cent and Hyderabad was the lowest with only 77 per cent coverage of the households. GHMC was flooded with complaints from angry citizens that despite waiting for hours no enumerator turned up at their homes. In some places, residents held protests in the city, reflecting the deep anxiety that missing survey will result in them losing the benefit of government schemes.

While former MP Vijayashanti was among the notables who refused to take part in the survey, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, film star NTR Junior and former union ministers K. Chiranjeevi and Dasari Narayan Rao filled in the survey forms with the details of their families. But Dasari refused to give his caste to the enumerators. He belongs to Kapu community of coastal Andhra but resides in Hyderabad.

Addressing a press conference late last night, KCR said that the data will be compiled by the first week of September and same will be made available to various government departments for the effective planning and implementation of welfare programs.

“The huge success of the survey indicated people’s faith in the government and the great spirit of government staff”, KCR said. “The super hit survey is a slap on the face of the critics”, he said.

A rough estimate on the basis of the survey has put the total population of the state at 45 million, much higher than earlier estimates.

Unlike Hyderabad, people in villages took part in the survey enthusiastically. But many people who had travelled long distances to be available in their native places were angry terming the survey as uncalled for.

“If it was so necessary, the government could have asked any one family member to be available to fill the forms. Where was the need for asking all family members to be available”, said Lakshman Goud at Yellareddypet in Karimnagar district.