Jamshedpur, Dec. 14: The state is ready for its first-ever agricultural census, which kicks off tomorrow. The census — to be carried out in three phases — will cover all revenue villages in the 24 districts of the state. Jharkhand, which failed to compile the data despite embarking on the process in 2006-07, has decided to take up the task in right earnest this time. Speaking to The Telegraph, principal secretary in the revenue and land reforms department N.N. Pandey said they would be training all relevant staff in every district. The respective deputy commissioners would act as nodal officers, while the sub-divisional officers would function as joint nodal officers. Pandey has already spoken to district officials to chalk out a strategy for the timely completion of the first phase of the exercise. “A videoconference was held to iron out bottlenecks and we are hopeful of completing the exercise in time,” he said. The first phase of the exercise will last 45 days and would cover 25,000 revenue villages by January 31. The second phase is tentatively poised to commence in May 2012 and the third and final phase would begin in January 2013. The respective district sub-census officers would be working in tandem with the revenue and land reform department staff. They will send the CDs of their respective reports on the designated date to the state revenue and land reforms department, which would put all the collected data together and forward to the Union government. The principal secretary said the entire expense — Rs 20 to Rs 25 crore — would be borne by the Centre. “It will cost between Rs 8,000 and Rs 10,000 for each of the 25,000 revenue villages in the state,” he said. The agricultural census covers operational holders (read farmers) and is held every five years around the country. According to East Singhbhum district sub census officer Ashwani Kumar Mondal, the census would be carried out based on size classes and size groups (marginal, small, medium and large) of operational holders, social groups (SC/ST and others) and types of holders (individual, joint and institutional) and gender.