The first phase of Census-2021 is set to begin from May 1 to June 15 in Haryana, with the help of 58,000 enumerators, officials told on Friday.

A state level conference of Divisional, Deputy Commissioners and Principal Census Officers was held to preparedness for Census 2021 and the updation of the National Population Register (NPR). The conference was held under the chairmanship of Haryana Chief Secretary Keshni Anand Arora, and Registrar General and Census Commissioner Vivek Joshi was also present.

As per the press release by the government, “During house listing operations, questions on the quality of houses, amenities available to the households will be canvassed. The second phase that is the Population Enumeration will be conducted from February 9 to February 28, 2021, with the revisional round from March 1 to 5.”

“The data on census should be very reliable and since the entire process of the census is very time bound therefore all the concerned officers should ensure that all the procedure should be completed within the stipulated time period,” the chief secretary was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.

“Census is the largest administrative and Statistical exercise in the world. He stated that it is the first time that the census is being conducted in digital mode and codification of responses would go a long way in the timely release of data,” said Registrar General and Census Commissioner Vivek Joshi at the meeting.

“Census data would be captured through specially designed mobile apps and no documents will be asked from the citizens during the Census-2021,” he added.

The NPR exercise was in question by many after its news came as the opposition alleged that the NPR is consisting of some new questions which are breaching the privacy of individuals and it a stage of bringing the contentious nationwide NRC.

NPR and NRC were on target by the opposition since the Citizenship Amendment Act – an alleged anti- Muslim law — was introduced by the government.

A website of Directorate of Census Operations, Haryana was also launched on the occasion by the authorities.