Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio urges a clean and accurate Census 2027 in Nagaland, warning against inflated population figures and duplicate entries.
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DIMAPUR — With preparations underway for the next national headcount, Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio has called for a “clean and accurate” Census in Nagaland, cautioning against inflated figures and duplicate entries that could distort development planning and welfare programmes.
According to a DIPR update on Thursday, Rio made those remarks while addressing a high-level briefing on Census-2027 held at the State Banquet Hall in Kohima on March 11.
He stressed that the exercise would be crucial for Nagaland, especially as the state’s decadal population growth has shown inconsistencies compared to the national average.
The meeting was attended by Deputy Chief Ministers TR Zeliang and Yanthungo Patton, Speaker of Nagaland Legislative Assembly Sharingain Longkumer, several Cabinet ministers, legislators, senior bureaucrats and representatives of political parties.
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Rio reminded that discrepancies in population figures have created complications in areas such as Aadhaar coverage and school enrolment data, stressing that inflated numbers or multiple entries undermine the reliability of official statistics.
He urged the elected representatives and political leaders to guide citizens in ensuring accurate enumeration.
Referring to Nagaland as a predominantly Christian state, the chief minister also appealed to participants not to take pride in wrongful practices or unhealthy competition over population figures but instead uphold integrity during the census process.
Chief Secretary Sentiyanger Imchen highlighted the importance of accurate Census data for effective governance and development planning.
He said that reliable demographic information plays a critical role in designing and implementing government programmes and developmental initiatives.
Home Commissioner Abhijit Sinha presented an overview of the Census-2027 exercise, outlining its significance and administrative framework.
Director of Census Operations Zasekuolie Chusi later gave a detailed presentation on the methodology, processes and challenges involved in conducting the nationwide enumeration.