In a significant step towards the upcoming Indian Census 2027, Chief Secretary Anu Garg chaired a high-level meeting with all District Collectors and Municipal Commissioners at Lok Seva Bhawan today.
The meeting, organised under the Planning and Convergence Department, focused on ensuring seamless preparation and execution of the massive national exercise.
Emphasising the importance of this national task, the Chief Secretary urged all officials to actively participate and complete their assigned responsibilities in a time-bound manner.
State Census Director Nikhil Pawan Kalyan presented a detailed overview of the first phase of the Census, which includes House Listing and Housing Census. In Odisha, this phase is scheduled to begin on April 16 and continue till May 15, 2026. A self-enumeration window will be available from April 1 to midnight of April 15.
Kalyan also updated the participants on the current status of preparatory work across districts.
State Development Commissioner and Additional Chief Secretary Deoranjan Kumar Singh highlighted the immense value and utility of accurate census data for planning and development. Additionally, Dr Arabinda Kumar Padhee, Additional Chief Secretary of the Revenue and Disaster Management Department (nodal department for the Census), provided valuable guidance to the District Collectors for successful implementation.
The meeting was attended virtually by all District Collectors and Commissioners of Municipal Corporations across the state.
