Srinagar, Aug 31: With census-2021 exercise being postponed, the Jammu & Kashmir Government has extended the deadline for freezing boundaries of administrative units to December 31, 2022.

The J&K’s Planning Development and Monitoring Department has pushed the deadline for freezing of boundaries of administrative units in the Union Territory till December 31, 2022.

“In exercise of powers conferred by clause(IV) of rule 8 of the Census Rules, 1990 and in suppression of earlier notification(s) issued in this behalf, the Government hereby freezes the boundaries of districts/tehsils, municipalities, towns, revenue villages and other administrative units in the whole Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir w.e.f 31st December 31, 2022 till completion of census-2021,” reads the notification issued by the PD&MD,.

The notification was issued by the J&K Government after the Registrar General of India wrote to all the States and UTs to extend the deadline for freezing boundaries of administrative units.

The notification was issued on August 16.

A per the Census Rules, 1990, the boundaries of administrative units shall be frozen from the date intimated by the Census Commissioner, which shall not be earlier than one year from the Census reference date.

The Census exercise, which was originally scheduled to take place in 2021, was postponed in early 2020 due to the outbreak of COVID-19.