West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari will chair a high-level review meeting at the state secretariat Nabanna on 30 May 2025 to assess progress and identify measures to fast-track the census process across the state. The meeting marks the next step in a push that began at the very first cabinet session of the new Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led government.

Background and Cabinet Mandate

The decision to initiate the census in West Bengal was formally taken at the inaugural cabinet meeting of the Adhikari government on 11 May 2025, when Adhikari was sworn in as the state's ninth Chief Minister. Following that, the state government issued an official notification distributing census responsibilities across multiple tiers of administration.

At the district level, divisional commissioners, district magistrates, additional district magistrates, sub-division magistrates, block development officers (BDOs), and joint BDOs have been assigned additional responsibilities. In urban and municipal areas, commissioners, additional commissioners, municipal executive officers, and officers of equivalent rank have been directed to carry out the enumeration work.

What Friday's Meeting Will Cover

According to a source from within the state secretariat, the key agenda items for the 30 May meeting include census preparation planning, staff recruitment and role assignment, training for personnel involved in the process, identification of data collection methods, and ensuring smooth coordination with the Union government. The source added that digital data collection options are also likely to be discussed.

'There might be discussion on possibilities of collecting data digitally,' the state secretariat source said.

Technology-Driven Enumeration Approach

The Directorate of Census Operations, West Bengal has confirmed that a dedicated mobile application will be deployed to allow census officers to record data during door-to-door visits. A self-enumeration facility will also be available, enabling citizens to voluntarily submit their details through an official government portal. Upon submission, a unique self-enumeration ID will be generated for subsequent verification. Enumerators will then collect official data and upload it to a centralised database.

Political Context: Delay Blamed on Previous Government

Although preparatory work for the national census had commenced in several states some time ago, the process in West Bengal remained stalled until the BJP came to power following the recently concluded Assembly elections. CM Adhikari has publicly accused the previous government led by former Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and the All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) of failing to extend the required cooperation to the Union Home Ministry, which, he has argued, caused significant delays in initiating the census in the state.

What Comes Next

The outcome of Friday's review is expected to set a clearer operational timeline for field-level enumeration. With staff training, digital tools, and inter-governmental coordination all on the agenda, the Adhikari administration is signalling that it intends to move quickly — and visibly — on a process that has been pending for years.