Surat, May 18 (IANS) Gujarat Deputy Chief Minister, Harsh Sanghavi, on Monday said accurate census data was essential for ensuring government services and welfare schemes reached people at the grassroots level, as he urged citizens across the state to participate in the Centre’s digital self-enumeration exercise for ‘Census 2027’.

Speaking in Surat during the launch phase of the campaign, Sanghavi said the information collected through the census would help governments undertake policymaking, development planning and proper distribution of resources.

“Census 2027 is one of the most important national processes undertaken by the Central government for the development and planning of the country,” Sanghavi said.

He further added, “The information obtained from the population census and the use of this information by the government, whether for policymaking or development, for proper distribution of resources, and for effectively delivering health, education, housing, employment, transport and various public welfare schemes to the grassroots level, makes this exercise extremely useful for citizens of every section of the country.”

The first phase has commenced across the country, including in Gujarat, with the central government introducing a digital ‘Self-Enumeration’ facility allowing citizens to submit household details online from home.

Sanghavi filled in his family’s details through the online portal from his residence on the second day of the campaign and appealed to citizens to consider participation in the exercise their national duty.

“Census 2027 is not merely a population count but an important pillar for the future development of the country,” he noted.

Sanghavi urged every family in the state to actively participate in the self-enumeration process scheduled between May 15 and May 31 by filling in all necessary household details online from home.

Sanghavi cautioned residents against sharing confidential information with unknown persons during the census process.

He clarified that an OTP would be generated if citizens completed the self-enumeration process online themselves, but no OTP was required to be shared if officials visited homes physically for census-related work.

“If any officer comes to your home for self-enumeration, then there is no need to provide any type of OTP in that process. All citizens should take special note of this,” he said.

A day earlier, Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel formally launched the online self-enumeration process by completing his family’s details on the digital portal and urging citizens to participate in the exercise.

Door-to-door house listing operations are scheduled from June 1 to June 30 through.

–IANS

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