Bhubaneswar, April 2 (NationPress) The government of Odisha has issued a directive mandating that all departments, district administrations, and urban local bodies refrain from transferring officials and employees involved in census operations. This measure aims to guarantee the effective execution of Census 2027, as stated in an official announcement released on Thursday.

Arabinda Padhee, Additional Chief Secretary of the Revenue and Disaster Management Department, has communicated with the secretaries of various departments, heads of departments, district collectors from each district, municipal commissioners, and chief census officers. The correspondence outlines directives to ensure the effective management of responsibilities tied to Census 2027.

The state government has initiated thorough preparations to facilitate the seamless conduct of Census 2027.

The census will be executed in two phases utilizing digital methods. The initial phase will entail house listing and housing census over a span of 30 days, starting from April 16 to May 15, 2026.

Additionally, a self-enumeration initiative will take place from April 1 to April 15, 2026. The subsequent phase, which focuses on population enumeration, is scheduled for February 2027.

To secure the successful completion of census activities, the state government has instructed that no transfers of officials and employees engaged in census duties will occur. Principal Census Officers across all districts and municipal corporations have been tasked with ensuring that the training of census personnel is completed within the designated timeframe.

Moreover, master trainers and field trainers involved in census activities will not be transferred until the conclusion of this operation in March 2027.

The state government has also mandated that any transfers involving supervisors and enumerators must receive prior approval from the respective district Principal Census Officer.

Department heads from all state government agencies are required to strictly follow the transfer control guidelines for field-level census officials, ensuring a smooth execution of the census process.

All officials and employees assigned to the census will carry out their responsibilities in compliance with the Census Act of 1948 and the Census Rules of 1990.

The government has appealed to all stakeholders for cooperation in ensuring the successful completion of Census 2027.

Additionally, the second meeting of the State-Level Coordination Committee for Census 2027 convened on Thursday under the leadership of Chief Secretary Anu Garg at the Conference Hall of Lok Seva Bhawan.