SRINAGAR: Census 2027 population enumeration in snow-bound areas of Jammu Kashmir and Ladakh has been completed, covering 5,292 Enumeration Blocks (EBs), including 4,597 in J&K and 695 in Ladakh, Chief Principal Census Officer and Director Census Operations J&K and Ladakh Amit Sharma said on Tuesday.
Addressing a press conference in Jammu, Sharma said a five-day revision round concluded on October 5, during which data was re-verified and updates, including births and deaths, were incorporated.
He said all of Ladakh was covered under the snow-bound exercise, while 16 districts in J&K had snow-bound areas, with Kishtwar fully covered under the category.
In Ladakh, enumeration was completed in 367 EBs in Leh and 328 in Kargil. In J&K, Doda recorded the highest number at 798 EBs, followed by Kishtwar (602), Ramban (418), Anantnag (377) and Baramulla (359).
Self-enumeration in snow-bound areas was conducted from August 17 to 31, followed by field operations from September 1 to 30.
Sharma said J&K ranked first among Union Territories and eighth nationally in self-enumeration, attributing the performance to public participation and awareness campaigns.
“This is India’s first paperless Census, with self-enumeration introduced for the first time,” he said.
He said independent observers visited J&K and Ladakh to assess field operations, infrastructure and preparedness, while top Census officials, including Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India Mrityunjay Kumar Narayan and Additional Registrar General Sunil Kumar, reviewed the exercise in remote areas.
On special charges, Sharma said enumeration had been completed in 125 CAPF charges in J&K and 47 in Ladakh. Paper-based enumeration was used in these locations for security reasons and will be digitised later.
He said around Rs 49.2 crore had been released for infrastructure, training, honorariums and operational expenses, while the first phase of payments to enumerators and supervisors had been transferred directly to their accounts.
Sharma said work on the District Census Handbook is underway from October 1 to 30 across J&K and Ladakh. The handbook will provide updated information on infrastructure and institutions and serve as a planning document for development programmes.
Clarifying reports about the release of population figures, Sharma said no final numbers would be issued this week. Population enumeration in J&K’s plain areas will be conducted in February, after which the process for notification of final population data will begin.
He said Census 2027 data would form the basis for future development planning and welfare programmes. (KNO)
