Bhubaneswar: Four census officials, including two women, were allegedly assaulted in Dhenkanal district on Wednesday, according to police reports. The incident occurred in the Mahimanagar area of the Kamakshyanagar Notified Area Council (NAC) when a team of three enumerators and one supervisor was collecting data as part of the census exercise that commenced on April 16.
“Our four census staff members were injured in the attack by three individuals, a man and his two sons. Police are investigating the incident, and strict action will be taken against the attackers,” stated Kamakshyanagar Sub-Collector Dinamani Nayak. Following the incident, the two sons have been detained, he confirmed. The census officials claimed that the family assaulted them as soon as they entered their home, despite presenting their official identity cards and explaining the purpose of their visit. “They questioned why we entered their premises. Even after we showed our identity cards and explained our purpose, they attacked us with stones. I sustained injuries to my face, and my two-wheeler was damaged,” said Madhusmita Behera, one of the officials.
Another official, Raghunath Dixit, alleged that the family attacked them without provocation and verbally abused them. Dixit reported an injury to his finger.
In light of recent incidents involving census workers, the Odisha government’s Revenue and Disaster Management (R&DM) department has instructed district collectors and municipal commissioners to ensure the safety of enumerators engaged in the ongoing census operations and to facilitate smooth data collection, an official announced on Wednesday.
In a letter to the collectors and municipal commissioners, Additional Chief Secretary Arabinda Kumar Padhee noted that the first phase of Census 2027, which includes Houselisting and Housing Census, is currently underway in the state from April 16 to May 15. He added that during this phase, enumerators are visiting homes to collect data related to housing conditions, household amenities, and assets possessed by households.
Padhee also mentioned that several unfortunate incidents have been reported in the media recently, including the alleged death of an enumerator from a heart attack after returning from census duty in Sonepur district, a female enumerator reported missing in Mayurbhanj district, three minor accidents and heatstroke cases in Balasore district, and one accident case in Rourkela.
“In view of the aforementioned scenario, you are requested to make necessary arrangements to address heat-related issues, identify danger aspects during data collection for the census, and regularly monitor the enumerators for their safety and smooth data collection. All enumerators should also be sensitized in this regard,” Padhee instructed.
Meanwhile, Odisha R&DM Minister Suresh Pujari informed reporters that the department may soon issue a Standard Operating Procedure to ensure the safety of enumerators engaged in census work amid severe heatwave conditions and other potential issues. He also mentioned discussions with officials from the Revenue department and the Directorate of Census Operations, Odisha, regarding this matter. The Revenue Minister hinted at a possible temporary suspension of census work during peak daytime heatwave hours, if necessary.
