Gangtok: The Census exercise scheduled for 2027 is currently underway, with authorities confirming that the process will be conducted in two phases, officials said.
Addressing the media, Census Director Karma R. Bonpo, along with Home Secretary and State Nodal Officer for Census Tenzing T. Kaleon, outlined the roadmap for the upcoming exercise, with Bonpo providing detailed operational insights.
The first phase, focusing on house listing and the housing census, will be carried out across Sikkim from April 16 to May 15, 2026.
During this phase, enumerators will visit households to collect detailed information on housing conditions and the amenities available in each home.
Bonpo said the exercise will be conducted using digital tools to streamline data collection. He added that the Government of India has introduced a self-enumeration option, allowing citizens to fill in their details online through the official portal (sc.census.gov.in).
Households opting for self-enumeration can share their generated ID with enumerators during visits, after which the data will be verified and submitted.
He further informed that preparations for the census are nearly complete, with around 2,500 enumerators appointed from various government departments. These enumerators will undergo training before being deployed for door-to-door data collection across the state.
Emphasising the importance of the exercise, Bonpo said census data plays a crucial role in the planning and implementation of development schemes and is also used for the delimitation of parliamentary, assembly and local government constituencies.
Kaleon, concurring with the Director, appealed to citizens to extend full cooperation to enumerators and ensure that accurate and reliable information is provided during the survey.
Officials also assured that all data collected will remain confidential under the provisions of the Census Act, 1948. As per Section 15 of the Act, individual data cannot be shared with any person or authority and will only be used for statistical purposes in aggregated form.
Bonpo added that a total of 33 questions have been notified by the central and state governments for the house listing phase, urging all households to respond, as the data will contribute significantly to development planning in both the state and the country.
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