Gurgaon: The district administration will set up a control room to assist enumerators facing any issues during fieldwork. The decision was made during a review meeting chaired by Haryana census director Lalit Jain on Thursday.The move comes after several enumerators faced issues gaining entry into gated colonies and high-rise societies. Despite officials urging RWAs to cooperate, workers frequently cited resistance or denial of access even after presenting identity cards and authorisation letters, which made work difficult and often forced them to return empty-handed.Officials said many residential societies have strict rules restricting the entry of outsiders, which is creating significant hurdles for census enumerators. “I am unable to meet my daily targets because most societies only allow entry during fixed hours, and even then, residents prefer online forms that do not exist,” an enumerator said.Workers often struggle to convince security personnel that they belong to the census department. A few workers said that even if they gained entry, residents were reluctant to share details, assuming the exercise is linked to taxation or welfare eligibility. “People fear misuse of their data and question why the census is happening digitally,” said another enumerator.Taking cognisance of the issues, Jain said the helpline, modelled on the state’s 1855 toll-free number, will allow census staff to report entry issues, technical delays and on-ground challenges for immediate resolution. Jain said the digital, app-based census requires faster troubleshooting and real-time coordination.The census department has also urged resident welfare associations and private security agencies to cooperate fully, saying the census “cannot move forward if doors remain closed to those carrying out a national duty.”Jain stressed that every enumerator will carry authorised ID cards and a scannable verification code, making their identity easy to confirm. “We want societies to feel secure, but not at the cost of obstructing a constitutional exercise,” he said, adding that census data forms the backbone of future welfare schemes, infrastructure planning and resource allocation.Describing the census as a “national responsibility,” Jain told officials that digital enumeration, with mobile app-based data entry, demands faster troubleshooting than before. “If an enumerator is stuck at a society gate for an hour or faces a technical challenge, it reflects in the final timelines. The control room must respond instantly,” he said.Residents, however, insisted the restrictions are for safety. An RWA member of a society in Sector 83 said, “We welcome the census, but verification of identity is essential. We cannot allow anyone to walk in without checking.”Residents in a few societies also said that the govt should issue clear guidelines to avoid confusion about the process.Meanwhile, Vijay Yadav, RWA president of Vipul World, said that due to the rise in crime, residents naturally feel apprehensive about outsiders. “Census officials should plan their visits with prior information to the RWA,” he added, “so we can inform residents in advance about the purpose of the visit.”
