The Census process in Odisha is set to begin in April, with officials announcing that the first phase will focus on House Listing and Housing Census activities. This stage will gather detailed information on residential structures and household assets across the state. The second phase, which involves door-to-door population enumeration, is scheduled for February 2027.
Development Commissioner Deo Ranjan Singh reviewed the state’s preparedness in a meeting with district collectors. A separate Census Coordination Committee meeting was conducted at Lok Seva Bhawan, attended by senior officials including the Census Director. Preparations have been underway for the last six months, with trial runs completed in Bhubaneswar and Cuttack, and updated NAC and municipal boundaries finalized for enumeration.
Training for census personnel will take place over the next three months. One enumerator will be assigned to every 200 households, with one supervisor overseeing six enumerators. Nearly one lakh officials will be engaged in the process. Each enumerator will receive a financial incentive of ₹25,000 for their work.
Authorities have also introduced an option for citizens to self-enumerate through an online portal using OTP-based mobile verification. Officials estimate that nearly 90% of census activities will take place digitally, aiming for maximum accuracy in data collection.
“We have included all 24 newly declared NACs and corporations by the Odisha government. Training will be carried out from January to April, and enumerator selection is in progress. Each enumerator will receive ₹25,000 as remuneration,” said Nikhil Pavan Kalyan, Census Director.
