Dimapur: Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio on Thursday emphasised the need to prevent multiple entries during the upcoming census enumeration, saying the Census 2027 would be a significant and important exercise for the state.
Addressing a briefing session at the State Banquet Hall in the Chief Minister’s residential complex in Kohima, Rio urged all stakeholders to ensure that the enumeration process is conducted with honesty and integrity.
Referring to Nagaland as a predominantly Christian state, he appealed to participants not to take pride in wrongful practices or engage in unhealthy competition, but to uphold ethical standards during the census process.
Rio also pointed out that the state’s decadal population growth rate has shown inconsistencies when compared with the national average. He called on elected representatives and leaders of political parties to play a responsible role in ensuring that such discrepancies are corrected during the upcoming census.
The Chief Minister further noted that inflated census figures in the past have led to complications in areas such as Aadhaar coverage and school enrolment data.
Chief Secretary Sentiyanger Imchen, who also addressed the session, stressed the importance of conducting an accurate census in the state. He said reliable population data is essential for effective planning and implementation of government programmes and development initiatives.
Home Commissioner Abhijit Sinha presented an overview of the Census 2027 exercise, while Director of Census Operations Zasekuolie Chusi made a detailed presentation on the methodology, processes and challenges associated with the enumeration.