Ganderbal: Chief Principal Census Officer (CPCO) and Director Census Operations for Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh, Amit Sharma, on Saturday reviewed the progress of ongoing House Listing Operations (HLO) under Census 2027 in Ganderbal district and emphasised the importance of accuracy, quality checks and public cooperation.
The review meeting, held at the Mini Secretariat Ganderbal, was attended by Deputy Director General, Office of the Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India, Biswajit Das, Principal Census Officer and Deputy Commissioner Ganderbal Jatin Kishore, Joint Director DCO J&K Arun Kumar, Assistant Director DCO J&K Vijay Kumar and other concerned officers.
During the meeting, officials informed that all House Listing Blocks (HLBs) in the district have been created and demarcated on the CMMS portal and that field operations are progressing smoothly. The review also covered enumerator training, self-enumeration progress, awareness campaigns and monitoring mechanisms for ensuring comprehensive coverage.
Appreciating the preparedness of the district, Amit Sharma described the Census as the country’s largest administrative and statistical exercise and said it serves as the foundation for planning, resource allocation and socio-economic development.
He stressed the need for maintaining the highest standards of accuracy during data collection and directed enumerators and supervisors to ensure that every entry is correctly recorded and thoroughly verified. He cautioned that even minor errors could affect the quality of Census data and future policy planning.
The CPCO directed charge officers to intensify monitoring through regular field inspections and random quality checks while ensuring strict adherence to Census guidelines. He also emphasised verification of household information and comprehensive coverage of migratory populations, forest areas and other special categories.
Special emphasis was laid on enumerating migratory and seasonal populations. Sharma directed field staff to track migration routes and collect details of all eligible tribal populations and individuals to ensure that no person is left out of the exercise.
Highlighting the role of technology, he said digital data collection would improve efficiency and enhance the quality of information gathered.
Deputy Commissioner Ganderbal Jatin Kishore assured full administrative support for the smooth conduct of Census operations and directed officers to closely monitor field activities to ensure timely completion of the exercise.
The meeting also reviewed awareness campaigns, training activities, supervision mechanisms and field-level monitoring arrangements aimed at ensuring comprehensive and error-free Census operations across the district.
Later, addressing the media, Amit Sharma appealed to residents of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh to cooperate with Census functionaries and provide accurate information, stating that reliable Census data forms the basis for informed governance and equitable distribution of resources.
He also reiterated that all information collected during the Census is protected under the Census Act 1948 and remains strictly confidential. He advised citizens not to fall prey to cyber fraudsters and clarified that Census officials never seek bank account details, passwords, credit card information, PAN numbers or Aadhaar details.
