Baramulla, June 1 (KNS): The first phase of Census 2027, comprising house-listing and housing enumeration, commenced in north Kashmir's Zaingair area on Monday and will continue till June 30, officials said.

Tehsildar Zaingair Zahid Rashid-JKAS said the exercise marks the beginning of what is being described as India's first fully digital census, with enumerators conducting door-to-door surveys using online platforms.

"The house-listing phase has started from June 1 and will continue for 30 days. Before this, a self-enumeration window was provided from May 15 to May 31, allowing residents to register themselves online," zahid told reporters.

He said trained supervisors and enumerators have been deployed across the tehsil and urged people to cooperate with officials conducting the survey.

According to the official, around 90 house-listing blocks have been identified in Zaingair based on a projected population of nearly 65,000.Click Here To Follow Our WhatsApp ChannelThe exercise is being carried out by 16 supervisors and 96 enumerators, assisted by local revenue staff, village chowkidars and lambardars.

Zahid said the census staff would carry identity cards and authorisation letters and advised residents to verify their credentials before sharing information.

"People need not panic. The survey consists of simple questions related to housing conditions, construction material and other basic details. A grievance redressal mechanism has also been established for any concerns," he said.

He said the initial few days would be devoted to layout mapping and field verification before full-scale enumeration begins.

The official expressed confidence that the exercise would be completed within the stipulated timeframe with the cooperation of residents and field staff.(KNS).