Srinagar, Sep 28: Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo on Monday chaired a high-level meeting of the UT Level Census Coordination Committee (UTLCCC) to review the progress of ongoing Census 2027 operations in snow-bound areas and assess preparedness for population enumeration in the remaining parts of Jammu and Kashmir.

The meeting was attended by senior officers, including Commissioner Secretaries of Housing and Urban Development and Planning, Development and Monitoring Departments, Secretary Revenue, Divisional Commissioners, Deputy Commissioners, Director School Education and Joint Director, Census Operations, J&K.
The Chief Secretary sought a district-wise appraisal of the enumeration exercise and reviewed administrative arrangements, logistics and interdepartmental coordination. He directed Deputy Commissioners to expedite completion of the remaining Enumeration Blocks (EBs) in snow-bound areas well before the prescribed deadline.
Dulloo stressed accuracy, comprehensive coverage and adherence to timelines, while calling for close coordination between district administrations and census authorities to resolve operational bottlenecks.
Reviewing preparations for the exercise in non-snow-bound areas, he directed the Divisional and District Administrations to put all administrative and logistical arrangements in place well in advance, drawing on the experience of the ongoing operations in snow-bound regions.
The meeting was informed that enumeration is underway across 95 designated charges covering 16 snow-bound districts. Of 4,597 Enumeration Blocks identified in these areas, 3,814 have been completed, registering 82.97 percent progress.
Budgam, Bandipora, Ganderbal and Pulwama have achieved 100 percent completion, while Kishtwar recorded 98.84 percent, Reasi 94.49 percent and Udhampur 91.69 percent.
Commissioner Secretary, PD&MD, R. Alice Vaz informed the meeting that ₹49.20 crore had been released to districts for IT infrastructure, fuel, contingencies, honorariums and training allowances for field functionaries.
The Committee was also informed that intensive training of nodal officers, charge officers, supervisors and enumerators deployed for Special Charges in snow-bound areas had been completed in two phases earlier this month.
Reviewing preparations for the District Census Handbook (DCHB), the Chief Secretary was informed that training of field functionaries was completed between September 14 and 27.
Fieldwork for Village and Town Directories is scheduled to begin on October 1 through a dedicated digital portal. The exercise will collect information through 400 questions for the Village Directory and 420 for the Town Directory, with PCOs tasked with close supervision to ensure data accuracy and completeness.
Dulloo stressed that District Census Handbooks are an important repository of grassroots-level information and called for meticulous data collection and effective supervision.
The meeting also reviewed the Information, Education and Communication campaign for Census 2027. The multipronged campaign covers print, electronic, digital and outdoor media, with awareness jingles being broadcast on Akashvani and Red FM in Hindi, Urdu, Kashmiri and Dogri.
Mobile LED vans and hoardings at prominent public places are also being used to spread awareness, while educational institutions have joined the outreach campaign through activities including a seminar at the University of Jammu's Bhaderwah Campus and a district-level quiz in Kishtwar.
The Chief Secretary called for sustained public outreach, field-level monitoring and prompt resolution of operational difficulties to ensure the Census 2027 exercise is completed smoothly, accurately and within the stipulated timelines