Bhubaneswar: Make the Census data bonafide and credible, directed Chief Secretary Asit Tripathy. He gave this direction to all the officers engaged in census operation while speaking them over video conference in the State Level Conference of Census-2021 held today in Lokseba Bhawan Conference Hall.
Tripathy said, “Census data becomes the basis of planning and reference for ten years. Since it is done in every ten years, some officers may not be quite conversant with the process. As such, the Collectors, ADMs, Tahasildars, Municipal Commissioners, Block Development Officers and Executive Officers must read and understand the Act and Rules in detail. Sri Tripathy directed them to also go through the census compendiums and organize the training properly at levels.
Further, Chief Secretary said that the Census 2021 is first of its kind as it is mostly being done on digital mode. Development Commissioner Suresh Chandra Mohapatra said, “Since census is a time-bound operation, it should be taken up with all seriousness at all levels.”
Additional Chief Secretary Revenue & Disaster Management Pradeepta Kumar Mohapatra said, “Census is the principal source of primary data at grass root level like village, ward and towns on pan-Indian basis and it is widely used by national and international agencies. As such, the enumerators play an important and scared role for Governance, planning and research.”
Director Census Operations Premananda Khuntia said that this time a mobile App would be used in the house and population enumeration. The App could be used both in online and offline mode. A mixed-method of data collection with mobile App, paper schedule and self enumeration would be adopted. The enumerators would use their own android mobile or i-phone. It was said that an additional incentive of Rs. 7500/- would be provided for use of own mobile in enumeration work. The management & monitoring of the works would be done through census web portal.
Khuntia said, “this will help in faster data finalization with greater accuracy”. Revenue & Disaster Management Department Government of Odisha would be the State Nodal Department for Census Operations. The entire operation would be carried on in two phases. The Phase-1 would be a period of 45 days between April to September, 2020 during which house listing would be done. Phase-11 would be from 9th to 28th February 2021 during which population enumeration would be done. The revisional round would be conducted from 5th March. 2021.
The Collectors & District Magistrates and Commissioner of Corporations would serve as Principal Census Officers. Additional District Magistrates, Sub-Collectors & Sub-Divisional Magistrates and Revenue Divisional Officers will operate as Census Officers. Tahsildars, Additional Tahasildars, BDOs and Executive Officers would operate as Charge Officers. Field level officers of State Government and Local Bodies along with teachers would work as enumerators. Officers generally of a rank higher than enumerators will work as Supervisors.
Development Commissioner Suresh Chandra Mohapatra, Additional Chief Secretary PK Mohapatra, Special Secretary Revenue & Disaster Management RN Palai, Director Census Prmananda Khuntia along with senior officers from Directorate of Census participated in the conference. The Collectors along with senior Revenue Division level officers and district level officers participated in it through video conference.