Chandigarh, September 11, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Punjab Chief Secretary KAP Sinha on Friday reviewed preparations for the second phase of Census 2027 at the fourth meeting of the State Level Census Coordination Committee (SLCCC) held in Chandigarh, directing officials to complete key preparatory activities within prescribed timelines.
The meeting was convened by Director, Census Operations, Punjab, and SLCCC Convenor Dr. Navjot Khosa IAS, and attended by State Nodal Officer Ghanshyam Thori IAS and other committee members. Deputy Commissioners and Commissioners of Municipal Corporations, serving as Principal Census Officers (PCOs), participated through video conferencing.
Sinha appreciated the PCOs for completing the assigned work within timelines and directed that the Field Trainers be finalised by September 15, 2026, while Enumeration Blocks, Supervisors and Enumerators must be finalised by September 30. He ordered that all preparatory activities for Phase-II be completed before November 10.
The committee discussed guidelines for the formation of Enumeration Blocks, enumeration of houseless and institutional households, and ensuring coverage of every settlement. The roles and responsibilities of PCOs, SDMs and Charge Officers were reiterated, with clear accountability at each level. The Chief Secretary also directed that exemptions from census duty should not be approved below the level of SDM.
The PCOs were instructed to ensure complete and accurate coverage without omission or duplication. They were asked to prepare specific action plans for enumeration of the houseless population and ensure coverage of institutional households, slums, isolated settlements and newly developed areas. Regular inspections and weekly reviews were also ordered for mission-mode execution of Population Enumeration.
Sinha directed the Administrative Secretary-cum-Nodal Officer, Department of Local Government, to prioritise payment of honorarium to all Phase-I census functionaries and submit utilisation certificates for the Phase-I work to the Registrar General and Census Commissioner, India at the earliest.
He also ordered officials to assess the budget requirement for Phase-II Population Enumeration and submit it to the Registrar General and Census Commissioner, India for timely release of funds. He stressed the need for extensive publicity to encourage participation in both Self-Enumeration and Population Enumeration.
The Chief Secretary said close coordination among departments represented on the SLCCC would be crucial for the successful completion of Phase-II and directed all departments to extend full support.
Earlier, Dr. Navjot Khosa informed the committee that Phase-I, comprising House Listing and Housing Census (HLO), had been successfully completed in Punjab.
She further stated that the Government of India had notified the Phase-II schedule through Notification No. S.O. 4919(E) dated September 5, 2026. Under the notified schedule, Self-Enumeration will be conducted from November 16 to 30, 2026, Population Enumeration from December 1, 2026, to January 4, 2027, and the Revisional Round from January 5 to 9, 2027. The Reference Date will be 00.00 hours of January 5, 2027.
Sinha directed that the notification be republished in the State Gazette at the earliest.
The committee also approved the Phase-II training plan. Training of Master Trainers is being conducted at NITTTR, Chandigarh, from September 9 to 12. Charge Officers will be trained from September 15 to 18, while Field Trainers will be trained at district headquarters by Master Trainers from September 21 to 30. Training of Enumerators and Supervisors at the Charge level will be conducted from October 5 to November 10, 2026.
It was highlighted that Census 2027 will be the first Digital Census, with enumeration to be carried out through a Mobile App under the Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) model. The exercise will also use a Self-Enumeration Portal available in 16 languages, along with the CMMS Portal.
PCOs were directed to prepare district-wise Self-Enumeration plans to maximise public participation. Ghanshyam Thori was also instructed to ensure that PCOs complete and accurately verify data for the District Census Handbook (DCHB), Village Directory and Town Directory through Charge Officers by the first week of October 2026 and submit compliance reports.
The meeting also decided to hold a Conference of Principal Census Officers on September 21, 2026, under the chairmanship of the Chief Secretary, Punjab.
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