Bhubaneswar, 16 April (H.S.): Odisha on Thursday launched a comprehensive door-to-door digital census, marking a major administrative initiative aimed at collecting detailed demographic data across the state. The exercise will continue until May 15, with authorities deploying a large workforce to ensure accurate and efficient data collection.

More than 90,000 officials have been engaged in the enumeration process, visiting households to gather information. To supervise the operation, 15,140 supervisors have been appointed. Primary school teachers have been assigned the role of enumerators, while high school teachers are functioning as supervisors to oversee field activities.

Each enumerator has been tasked with collecting data on approximately 800 individuals. On average, an official is expected to cover 150 to 200 households during the one-month exercise. In addition to data collection, officials will also carry out house listing and numbering, while interacting with the head of each household to record responses.

The census will include a structured questionnaire comprising 33 questions. These questions cover a wide range of socio-economic indicators, including the type of housing and construction materials used, food habits of households, and ownership of assets such as two-wheelers and four-wheelers.

Prior to the full-scale enumeration, officials have been allotted a three-day preparatory period for mapping activities. During this phase, they will identify their assigned areas, familiarize themselves with local conditions, and estimate the number of houses and families. This groundwork is scheduled to continue until April 18.

The actual enumeration process will commence on April 19 following the completion of the mapping phase. All data collected during the exercise will be recorded digitally, ensuring streamlined processing, improved accuracy, and easy accessibility for administrative planning and policy formulation.

Officials stated that the digital approach is expected to enhance transparency and efficiency, making the census a key step toward data-driven governance in the state.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Monalisa Panda