Bhubaneswar, 07 January (H.S.): The first phase of the population census in Odisha will begin in April, while the second and main phase is scheduled to start from February 2027, according to Nikhil Pavan Kalyan, Director of Census Operations, Odisha.

The initial phase will involve house listing and housing census, during which all residential structures will be identified and marked, and information related to household assets and basic amenities will be collected. The second phase, commencing in February 2027, will consist of a door-to-door population census to record detailed demographic information of individuals.

For the statewide exercise, nearly one lakh census enumerators will be engaged. As per the operational plan, one enumerator will cover approximately 200 households, while one supervisor will monitor the work of six enumerators. Each enumerator will be paid an honorarium of ₹25,000 for their services.

Preparatory activities for the census have been underway for the past six months. Pre-test surveys have already been conducted in Bhubaneswar and Cuttack, and the boundaries of newly declared Notified Area Councils (NACs) and municipalities have been finalised. Over the next three months, census personnel will undergo structured training programmes to ensure smooth and accurate implementation.

Ahead of the exercise, the Development Commissioner held consultations with all district collectors. In addition, a state-level Census Coordination Committee meeting was convened at Lok Seva Bhawan under the chairmanship of the Development Commissioner, with the Census Director and other senior officials in attendance. Authorities said the entire census process will be closely monitored at a high level to maintain accuracy and data integrity.

The upcoming census will be conducted largely through digital means, with around 90 per cent of data collection expected to be online. Citizens opting for self-enumeration will be able to submit their details by registering on the official portal using an OTP-based mobile verification system. Each mobile number can be used only once, and security features such as disabling screenshots within the application have been incorporated to ensure data confidentiality and security.

---------------

Hindusthan Samachar / Monalisa Panda