Amit Sharma reviews Census-2027 operations in Anantnag

Anantnag, Jun 15: In continuation of ongoing Districts’ Review streak, Chief Principal Census Officer (CPCO) and Director Census Operations (DCO), Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh, Amit Sharma along with Biswajit Das, Deputy Director General, MHA, Office of Registrar General of India, Monday chaired a comprehensive review meeting at the Conference Hall, Anantnag to assess the progress of the ongoing House Listing Operations (HLO) being conducted under Census 2027 in the district.
The meeting was also attended by Principal Census Officer (Deputy Commissioner), Anantnag, Dr Bilal Mohiuddin Bhat, Joint Director, DCO J&K, Arun Kumar, Assistant Director DCO J&K, Vijay Kumar; Additional Deputy Commissioner (District Census Officer), Vikas Ahlawat; ACR, Sub-Divisional Magistrates, DSEO (Additional District Census Officer), Charge Officers and other concerned officials associated with the Census exercise.
In his remarks, the CPCO termed Census Data as the founding pillars of future development and prosperity, not only in Kashmir valley but the entire nation.
Reviewing the progress, Amit Sharma appreciated the preparedness of the Anantnag district and emphasized that Census is the country’s largest administrative and statistical exercise, forming the basis for planning, resource allocation and socio-economic development for years to come. He termed Anantnag as on the oldest districts of J&K with pristine glory and famous tourist spots.
Amit Sharma stressed the importance of maintaining the highest standards of accuracy during data collection and directed enumerators and supervisors to ensure that every entry is recorded correctly and verified thoroughly. He cautioned that even minor errors or conceptual misunderstandings can adversely impact the quality of Census data and affect future policy planning.
The CPCO directed Charge Officers to ensure that Supervisors undertake regular field inspections and conduct random quality checks instructed to intensify monitoring and ensure strict adherence to Census guidelines. He also emphasized verification of household information, coverage of migratory populations, forest areas and other special categories to ensure that no household or individual is left out of the enumeration process.
The district being a peculiar destination for migratory and seasonal populations, special emphasis was laid on ensuring their comprehensive coverage during the ongoing Census exercise.
Deputy Director General, Census, MHA, ORGI, Governemnt of India held a direct interaction session with the present Enumerators and Supervisors, Charge Officers, etc to take first hand feedback which shall help in improvising the upcoming technology based second most important phase of Census, which is Population Enumeration (PE), in the coming months of September 2026 and February 2027.
The Principal Census Officer assured full administrative support for the smooth conduct of Census operations and directed all concerned officers to closely monitor field activities to ensure timely completion of Census work, strictly in line with defined timelines and as per guidelines and Circular instructions issued from time to time.
The Additional Deputy Commissioner (District Census Officer) briefed the CPCO on the district profile and the status of preparations for Census-2027. He informed that all House Listing Blocks (HLBs) have been successfully created and demarcated on the CMMS portal, while field operations are progressing smoothly across the district. He also apprised Chair in the meeting about the training imparted to enumerators and supervisors, self-enumeration progress, awareness campaigns undertaken through various IEC activities, and the monitoring mechanisms put in place to ensure quality data collection and comprehensive coverage of all households, including migratory populations.
Amit Sharma directed field functionaries to track migration routes and collect details of all eligible tribal population and individuals to ensure that no person is left out of the enumeration process.
Highlighting the role of technology, Amit Sharma said the digital mode of data collection would enhance efficiency and improve the quality of information gathered.
The meeting also reviewed training activities, awareness campaigns, supervision mechanisms and field-level monitoring arrangements aimed at ensuring comprehensive and error-free Census operations across the district.
Later, the CPCO briefed the media regarding the progress achieved under the ongoing House Listing Operations (HLO) of Census-2027 in the district and highlighted the extensive preparations undertaken to ensure smooth, accurate and timely completion of the exercise.
He appealed to the public of both the UTs of J&K and Ladakh and especially residents of Anantnag district to fully co-operate with Census Enumnerators and provide accurate information, stating that reliable Census data serves as the foundation for informed governance, developmental planning and equitable distribution of resources.