Srinagar, May 11 (JKNS): Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo on Monday reviewed the preparedness for Census-2027 across Jammu and Kashmir and stressed the need for extensive public participation, proper training of field staff and timely completion of all preparatory activities ahead of the Self-Enumeration process beginning from May 17.
As per news agency JKNS, Chairing the 3rd meeting of the UT Level Census Coordination Committee in Srinagar, the Chief Secretary, as per news agency JKNS, emphasized the importance of conducting vigorous and comprehensive training programmes for Enumerators and Supervisors to ensure accuracy and reliability in the Census exercise.
He said well-trained field functionaries would play a key role in maintaining the integrity and credibility of the entire enumeration process. Dulloo also directed officials to complete the formation and demarcation of House Listing Blocks (HLBs) well before the commencement of enumeration to ensure smooth and exhaustive coverage.
The Chief Secretary stressed close monitoring at district and charge levels to avoid delays and ensure proper ground preparedness. He also called for coordinated promotional campaigns involving different departments and stakeholders on thematic days to encourage citizens to voluntarily participate in the Self-Enumeration process.
Reviewing district-wise preparedness, Dulloo directed all Deputy Commissioners and concerned officers to ensure seamless coordination, timely completion of preparatory activities and extensive public outreach for maximum participation in Self-Enumeration.
During the meeting, Additional Chief Secretary Finance, Shailendra Kumar, stressed the need for multiple rounds of training for Enumerators and Supervisors considering the sensitive nature of the Census exercise. He also emphasized that no household, especially in remote and hilly areas, should be left out during the formation of House Listing Blocks.
Director Census Operations J&K and Ladakh, Amit Sharma, gave a detailed presentation regarding progress achieved in training of field staff, formation of HLBs, appointment of Enumerators and Supervisors, publicity plans, administrative preparations and fund utilization.
The meeting was informed that 29 batches for training of Field Trainers had been constituted across all districts and the training process was substantially completed by May 10, 2026. Training batches for Enumerators and Supervisors have also been constituted in 17 districts, while training programmes have already started in 12 districts.
Officials informed the meeting that all districts and Municipal Corporations have identified the required field staff and the process of appointment and registration on the Census Management and Monitoring System (CMMS) portal is underway.
The Office of the Registrar General and Census Commissioner, India (ORGI), has approved deployment of 27,784 field functionaries in Jammu and Kashmir, including 23,774 Enumerators and 4,014 Supervisors, excluding reserve staff.
The meeting was further informed that QR-coded appointment letters and identity cards for registered field staff would be generated through the CMMS portal and distributed along with kit items after completion of training.
Regarding House Listing Blocks, officials informed that more than 24,000 HLBs have already been created across Jammu and Kashmir, out of which over half have been geo-tagged and demarcated.
The presentation also highlighted a large-scale publicity and awareness campaign planned for Self-Enumeration. As per ORGI guidelines, the campaign would include outreach through print, television, radio and digital media, besides outdoor publicity, social media campaigns, exhibitions, mobile publicity vans, nukkad nataks and community-level awareness programmes in Urdu, Dogri and Gojri languages.
The meeting was informed that Self-Enumeration of VVIPs would commence from May 17, 2026, in accordance with Standard Operating Procedures issued by ORGI to encourage wider public participation.
A thematic 15-day outreach calendar has also been prepared to ensure participation from different sections of society including elected representatives, educational institutions, judiciary, uniformed services, industries, health institutions, women’s groups, senior citizens, media organizations and youth groups.
To achieve 100 percent Self-Enumeration, districts have been advised to involve Panchayati Raj Institutions, Common Service Centres, educational institutions and local bodies for facilitating citizens free of cost. Several districts have already initiated awareness campaigns through public meetings, school activities, debates, press conferences and Gram Sabha announcements.
The meeting also reviewed the status of updation of administrative units on the CMMS portal. Officials informed that administrative boundaries had been frozen as on December 31, 2025, in accordance with notifications issued by the Government of India and the J&K Government, while requests regarding updation of villages, wards and locality names have been submitted to ORGI for approval. (JKNS)