As part of the preparations for the Census 2011, preliminary training sessions for over 150 coordinators were organised here on Thursday.
Officials of the Directorate of Census Operations said the sessions focussed on two operations, namely house listing and preparation of the National Population Register.
The identification of master trainers for the officials in charge of census in the city has been completed, according to Rajesh Lakhoni, Principal Census Officer and Commissioner of Chennai Corporation.
The coordinators who received training on Thursday from the Directorate of Census Operations would be, in turn, training the master trainers identified for the city. The master trainers would be crucial in preparing over 8,000 personnel identified for carrying out the task of census operations.
In order to equip and train those personnel involved in census 2011, training sessions would start on April 6 in various parts of the city.
The sessions also focus on creating awareness among the officials about their duties and responsibilities in the census. Every person occupying any house, enclosure or any other place may allow the personnel, on production of proof of identity, access to it for the purpose of the census. The residents should also permit them to paint or affix letters or marks if necessary, said an official. Each house listing block would have around 600 residents and the data on amenities available in the household and educational qualification of the residents would be generated during the operations. The collection of data for the National Population Register would start at the grassroots level on June 1 and end on July 15 in the city.
