Jammu, 17 June (H.S.): Chief Principal Census Officer (CPCO) and Director Census Operations (DCO), J&K and Ladakh, Amit Sharma today warned the public against cyber fraudsters attempting to misuse the ongoing Census 2027 exercise to obtain sensitive personal and financial information from citizens.

Speaking during a review meeting of the ongoing House Listing Operations (HLO) under Census 2027 in Kupwara, Sharma cautioned people against sharing bank account numbers, credit card details or other confidential information with anyone claiming to be associated with the Census.

He urged citizens to remain vigilant and report such incidents to the police and the Census Helpline (1855) for immediate action.

Sharma also reassured the public that all information collected during Census 2027 is protected under Section 15 of the Census Act, 1948, and remains strictly confidential.

He said the data cannot be shared with any agency or individual and appealed to people to cooperate with Census officials without fear regarding the security of their information.

The warning came during a comprehensive review meeting chaired by Sharma and Principal Census Officer (Deputy Commissioner) Kupwara, Shrikant Balasaheb Suse, to assess the progress of House Listing Operations in the district.

Reviewing the Census exercise, Sharma appreciated Kupwara's performance in self-enumeration and Information, Education and Communication (IEC) activities.

He emphasized the need for maintaining accuracy in data collection, directing enumerators and supervisors to ensure that every entry is correctly recorded and thoroughly verified.

He instructed charge officers to intensify field monitoring, conduct regular inspections and ensure strict adherence to Census guidelines.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Krishan Kumar