SHILLONG, May 15: The first phase of Census 2027 operations in Meghalaya will commence from Saturday (May 16) with the launch of the House Listing and Housing Census (HLO) field operations across the state.
The exercise will continue till June 14, covering all 12 districts through a fully digital mode of data collection.
Biswajit Pegu, Director of Census Operations, Meghalaya, said that 8,309 enumerators and supervisors have been appointed for conducting the HLO in the state.
Altogether 9,950 House Listing Blocks (HLBs) have been finalised across the state for the Census operations.
Pegu stated that the HLO phase, which forms the foundation of the Census exercise, will collect information relating to housing conditions, drinking water sources, sanitation facilities, household amenities, and assets. Enumerators will visit every building and household during the 30-day field operation to ensure complete and accurate coverage.
Pegu further stated that Census 2027 is being conducted through a digital-first approach. Enumerators will collect and submit data directly through the official mobile application using their own smartphones under the “Bring Your Own Device” framework. The digital system is expected to improve data accuracy, reduce manual errors, and enable real-time monitoring of field operations.
Meghalaya has achieved 100 per cent geo-tagging and demarcation of all HLBs during the preparatory phase, the Directorate of Census Operations said.
The exercise covered all 12 districts, 7,428 villages, and 9 towns, ensuring complete readiness for the commencement of field operations. East Khasi Hills recorded the highest number of HLBs (2,159), followed by West Garo Hills (1,488).
Officials said the online Self-Enumeration phase, which commenced on May 1 this year, will conclude at midnight, Friday. Citizens were able to submit their household details digitally through the Self-Enumeration portal.
Officials said Meghalaya witnessed encouraging public participation in the process, with West Khasi Hills recording the highest number of Self-Enumeration entries, followed by East Khasi Hills and West Garo Hills.
Pegu clarified that data submitted through the Self-Enumeration portal will be physically verified by the enumerators during house visits, and only verified data will be uploaded through the HLO application.
Officials further said that extensive training has been provided to the enumerators and the supervisors on census concepts, operational procedures, and the effective use of digital applications for accurate data collection.
During the initial days of operation, the enumerators will verify HLB boundaries, identify landmarks, prepare layout maps, and number buildings and houses before commencing household data collection.
The Directorate emphasised that a robust quality assurance mechanism has been put in place, including real-time supervision, field inspections, and re-verification wherever necessary. Offline data collection options have also been enabled in areas with poor network connectivity.
