Shimla: Smt. Urmila Singh, Governor has emphasized the importance of census and added that census data was key for plan formulation and developmental schemes. She was speaking on the occasion of State level Felicitation Function organised by Directorate of Census, Himachal Pradesh to honour the Deputy Commissioners who are also Principal Census Officers and other officers who have done commendable work in Census-2011 at Raj Bhawan here today.

Governor lauded the good work done by the Census Department as well as other officers and officials who were entrusted the work of census despite difficult terrain of the State and successfully completing the task.

Smt. Singh said that census work in the State like Himachal Pradesh was a challenging one but with the devotion and dedication it has been done in Himachal Pradesh was exemplary and laudable. All those who have done this work deserve special appreciation.

Earlier, Governor gave away mementoes to the Deputy Commissioners and other officers for doing good work in the Cenus-2011.

Smt. Rajwant Sandhu, Chief Secretary said that Census-2011 in Himachal Pradesh undertaken in two phases have been completed successfully . She congratulated the Census Department. She said that more than 27,000 employees were involved in two phases in this difficult task.

Chief Secretary said that the census data was a key for formulating schemes and welfare programmes. She said that caste based census was being done this year in the State and expressed hope that Census Department would do this work also in a timebound manner.

Shri Ajay Bhandari, Secretary, GAD, all Deputy Commissioners, senior officers of the State Government and Census Department were present on the occasion among others.