Chief Principal Census Officer (CPCO) and Director Census Operations (DCO), Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh, Amit Sharma, along with Deputy Commissioner Budgam (Principal Census Officer Budgam), Athar Aamir Khan, chaired a review meeting at the Conference Hall of the DC Office Complex, Budgam, to assess the preparedness and progress of the ongoing House Listing Operations (HLO) being conducted from June 1 to June 30, 2026, as part of the Census exercise.

At the outset, the District Census Officer and Additional Deputy Commissioner Budgam, Mehraj-Ud-Din Shah, briefed the chair on the district’s geographical profile, preparedness for Census 2027, and the arrangements put in place for the smooth conduct of the ongoing House Listing Operations. He also highlighted the training programmes being conducted for census personnel across the district and apprised the chair of the district administration’s readiness for the Census exercise.

The Deputy Commissioner informed the meeting that all necessary administrative and logistical arrangements have been made to ensure the smooth conduct of Census-related activities across the district. 

He emphasized the importance of coordinated efforts among all stakeholders and reiterated the district administration’s commitment to ensuring comprehensive coverage and high-quality data collection during the enumeration process. He also directed all field-level officers to extend full support to census personnel and ensure strict adherence to the prescribed guidelines.

During the meeting, detailed discussions were held on ensuring comprehensive coverage of all households, including migratory populations, and strengthening field-level census operations across the district.

Addressing the officers, Amit Sharma appreciated the dedicated efforts of the field staff and encouraged enumerators and supervisors to discharge their responsibilities with utmost commitment and professionalism.

He emphasized the importance of effective coordination among census functionaries, quality and timely data collection, and strict adherence to census guidelines to ensure accuracy and completeness of the enumeration process. He directed all concerned officers to extend full support to census personnel and take necessary measures to facilitate the smooth conduct of House Listing and Housing Census activities throughout the district.

Amit Sharma informed that for any query or clarification related to Census 2027 in the district, citizens can contact the dedicated toll-free helpline number 1855. 

He appealed to the public to remain vigilant against fraudulent calls, messages, or individuals claiming to be associated with the Census exercise and cautioned people against sharing personal, financial, banking, or OTP-related information with anyone in the name of Census.

He further clarified that the Census process is simple and transparent, and citizens are only required to answer the prescribed 33 Census questions during the enumeration process. He urged residents to cooperate with authorized Census personnel and provide accurate information to ensure the success of this important national exercise.

The meeting also reviewed field-level preparedness and discussed various operational aspects related to the Census exercise. 

Amit Sharma reiterated that the Census is a crucial national exercise that serves as the foundation for evidence-based planning and development initiatives.

Joint Chief Principal Census Officer, Arun Kumar, also briefed the participants on the monitoring framework for field operations and stressed the importance of real-time tracking and supervision of data collection activities.

The meeting was attended by the Additional Deputy Commissioner (District Census Officer), Assistant Commissioner Revenue (ACR), all SDMs, Charge Officers, Assistant Chief Principal Census Officer, District Coordinator for Census 2027 Budgam, and other concerned officers and officials.