Under the “Our Census, Our Development – 2027” initiative, house-to-house census work has commenced, and Deputy Commissioner S.J. Somashekhar has issued clear instructions to achieve significant progress by the end of this month.
Stating that Kodagu district is currently placed 15th in terms of census progress, he directed the concerned officials to expedite the work and complete it at the earliest. Nodal officers, including Tahsildars, Taluka Executive Officers, Field Education Officers, and Chief Officers of Municipalities and Town Panchayats, have been assigned responsibilities. They have been instructed to ensure that no household within their jurisdiction is left out of the census process.
A total of 999 enumerators have been deployed across the district for the house-to-house census. The taluk-wise distribution includes 187 in Madikeri taluk, 61 in Madikeri city, 186 in Somwarpet taluk, 12 in Somwarpet Town Panchayat, 133 in Virajpet taluk, 36 in Virajpet Municipality, 161 in Ponnampet taluk, 19 in Ponnampet Town Panchayat, 158 in Kushalnagar taluk, and 46 in Kushalnagar Municipality. In addition, 172 personnel have been appointed as census supervisors. Further, 10 percent of enumerators have been kept in reserve, the Deputy Commissioner informed.
A comprehensive review of census progress was conducted across Madikeri, Somwarpet, Kushalnagar, Virajpet, and Ponnampet taluks. Officials provided updates on house mapping, numbering, and field mapping activities.
Observing that Kodagu is a relatively small district with a conducive working environment compared to others, the Deputy Commissioner urged officials and staff to work efficiently and achieve at least 10 percent progress within the next ten days.
Questioning whether all enumerators and supervisors are effectively carrying out their assigned responsibilities, he instructed departmental heads and census officers to take immediate corrective measures and ensure timely completion of the census. He further emphasized the need for officials to familiarize themselves with the census application, discuss operational challenges, and resolve them promptly. Cooperation among departments was also stressed.
Officials were instructed to build confidence among enumerators and take necessary steps to ensure smooth and uninterrupted census operations. The Deputy Commissioner directed Block Education Officers and Executive Officers to personally visit field locations and inspect the work of enumerators. Special attention should be given to areas with low data collection, ensuring faster progress. He warned that strict action would be taken against officials failing to perform their duties effectively.
Deputy Divisional Officer Nitin Chakki, Planning Director of the Urban Development Planning Branch B. Basappa, Deputy Director of the School Education Department Basavaraju, Tahsildars Praveen Kumar (Virajpet), Sridhar (Madikeri), Krishnamurthy (Somwarpet), Kiran Gouraiah (Kushalnagar), and Sanjana (Ponnampet), Taluka Executive Officers Shekhar (Madikeri), Paramesh (Somwarpet), and Appanna (Virajpet), Field Education Officers Mahesh (Madikeri), Krishnappa (Somwarpet), and Anand (Virajpet), Municipal Chief Officers Girish (Kushalnagar), Nachappa (Virajpet), Krishna Prasad (Somwarpet), and S. Gopi (Ponnampet) were present and provided updates on progress in their respective areas.
