Odisha Reviews Census Progress, Gears Up for Population Enumeration Phase in 2027

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government on Thursday reviewed the progress of the ongoing Census exercise and outlined preparations for the next phase of enumeration, with emphasis on timely execution and coordinated implementation across the State.

The review meeting was held at Lok Seva Bhawan under the chairmanship of Additional Chief Secretary, Revenue and Disaster Management Department, Dr. Arvind Padhee. During the meeting, Director of Census Operations (DCO) Nikhil Pawan Kalyan presented an update on the status of Census activities and informed that the first phase—House Listing Operation and Housing Census—has been completed successfully across Odisha.

Officials stated that the large-scale exercise was carried out smoothly through coordinated efforts involving district administrations, municipal authorities, enumerators, supervisors and field-level staff across the State.

Commending the teams involved, Dr. Padhee acknowledged the contribution of Census functionaries and frontline personnel, noting that effective field-level implementation remains central to the success of a nationwide exercise of such scale and importance.

The meeting also focused on planning for the upcoming second phase of the Census—Population Enumeration—which is scheduled to be conducted in February 2027. Discussions covered operational preparedness, timelines and the roadmap for completing advance arrangements ahead of the next round of data collection.

According to officials, the House Listing Operation and Housing Census in Odisha were conducted over 30 days from April 16 to May 15, 2026. Prior to that, the Self-Enumeration exercise was completed between April 1 and April 15, enabling households to voluntarily submit details through the designated process.

Dr. Padhee directed officials to maintain momentum and ensure all preparatory activities for Population Enumeration are completed within the prescribed timeline to facilitate smooth implementation.

Concluding the meeting, he extended his best wishes to the Census teams and expressed confidence that the next phase would be carried out successfully through continued coordination and administrative support.

Additional Secretaries of the Revenue and Disaster Management Department, Pragyadhara Mishra and Alomani Sethi, along with Joint Directors of Census Operations Hemanta Kumar Singh and Haradhan Karmi, were among those present at the meeting.