The first phase of the national census 2011 officially got under way in the district with the census official recording the details of the former Judge of the Supreme Court V.R. Krishna Iyer at his residence here on Wednesday.
Census officials led by Additional District Magistrate K.P. Mohandas Pillai, who is also the District Census Officer, reached the jurist's residence at 2.30 p.m. Baby Antony, Additional Secretary and City Census Officer, Kochi Corporation, explained the purpose of the visit to Mr. Iyer.
He informed the jurist that the census operations will be formally inaugurated in the district with the recording of his details. Mr. Antony further said that details for preparing the first ever national population register whereby photo-affixed identity cards would be given to every person above 18 years old would also be collected alongside. Enumerator Fexi Meyn then recorded the personal details of Mr. Iyer who later signed the document.
Mr. Pillai said that 5,542 enumerators and 969 supervisors had been deployed across the district for the first phase of the census operations. He requested the public to cooperate with the process by giving correct and accurate details.
Mr. Antony said that the 45-day house numbering and house listing process, which constituted the first phase of the national census 2011, would be held from April 12 to May 27.
The actual population census, he said, would begin in February next year.