PALIN, 27 Apr: Local MLA Balo Raja appealed to the people to cooperate with census officials, allow them to enter their homes, permit house-marking, and answer all questions truthfully.
Addressing a public awareness meeting on Census 2027 here in Kra Daadi district on Monday, Raja said that welfare schemes, including PMAY, Ujjwala Yojana, and civil supply entitlements, and resource allocation under programmes like SIDF and rural electrification are all rooted in census data.
“Census also plays a crucial role in the accurate delimitation of electoral constituencies, and in ensuring proper representation of women in government and planning,” Raja, who is also the urban affairs minister, said.
He also highlighted the self-enumeration option as a convenient, private, and accurate method for citizens to submit their household data online.
“Counted correctly, we will be served correctly,” he said, calling upon the people to treat the census as a national duty.
Deputy Commissioner Charu Nili outlined the two-phase structure of Census 2027.
The first phase includes self-enumeration and ends on 30 April, to be followed by houselisting from 1 to 31 May, the DC said. The second phase – population enumeration – is scheduled for February 2027, and will focus on capturing detailed demographic, socioeconomic, religion, cultural, migration, and fertility-related information of individuals across households, he said.
The DC reassured citizens that all census data is strictly confidential under Section 15 of the Census Act 1948, while also noting that Section 8(2) makes it mandatory to furnish correct information, and that Section 11(1)(d) provides for a fine of up to Rs 1,000 for refusal or false answers.
The deputy commissioner clarified that a household is defined by the kitchen – regardless of the number of traditional fireplaces (emiks). If one kitchen is shared, it is one household, he said. He also cautioned against double entry, advising citizens with residences at multiple locations to enrol as head of household at only one place, as multiple entries would lead to data duplication and adversely affect the district’s resource entitlements.
The event witnessed enthusiastic and huge participation of locals, PRI members, the market community, and government officials.
Meanwhile, the Papum Pare district administration concluded its two-phase training programmes for enumerators and supervisors on 25 April.
The first phase, held from 20 to 22 April, covered Balijan, Doimukh, and Sagalee, while Phase 2 was conducted from 23 to 25 April in Balijan, Kimin, and Sagalee.
A total of 10 supervisors and 49 enumerators from Balijan subdivision, seven supervisors and 34 enumerators from Doimukh subdivision, three supervisors and 13 enumerators from Kimin subdivision, and 21 supervisors and 77 enumerators from Sagalee subdivision were imparted training for the houselisting and housing census.
The enumerators will undertake door-to-door field visits from 1 to 30 May for collection of household data.
Deputy Commissioner Lobsang Tsering urged all residents to extend full cooperation to census officials by providing accurate and complete information across the 34 prescribed questionnaires.
Economics & Statistics Assistant Director Leleen Regon informed that the data collected during the census will serve as a critical foundation for planning and policy formulation by the Government of India for the next decade. (DIPROs)
