In a landmark move following the change of guard in West Bengal, Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari announced on Friday that the state will officially commence its census operations on August 1, 2026. Speaking from the state secretariat, Nabanna, the Chief Minister confirmed that West Bengal is finally moving forward with the national decadal exercise, which had been stalled in the state for over a year.

The announcement marks a significant shift in administrative policy, as Adhikari used the platform to criticize the previous Trinamool Congress (TMC) government for allegedly bottlenecking the process.

A Two-Phase Digital Rollout

According to Rashmi Kamal, Director of Census Operations, the central government issued the initial notification for the nationwide census in June last year. However, West Bengal only issued its state-level notification on May 11 of this year.

The census will be conducted in two distinct phases:

Phase I: HLO (Houselisting and Housing Census Operation) – Scheduled to begin this August.

Phase II: PE (Population Enumeration) – Detailed schedules for this phase will be notified at a later date.

For the first time in Indian history, the census will be conducted entirely digitally, introducing a “self-enumeration” feature.

Key Dates for Phase I:

Aug 1 – Aug 15: Period for citizens to complete Self-Enumeration online.

Aug 16 – Sept 14: Field workers will visit households that did not self-enumerate to collect data across 33 parameters, including economic status and assets.

Allegations of Political Obstruction

Chief Minister Adhikari did not mince words regarding the delay. He claimed that while other states progressed with the central mandate, the previous administration remained silent.

“The notification arrived long ago, but unfortunately, the previous government did not respond to the letters,” Adhikari stated. “It appeared the former Chief Secretary was waiting for political clearance. While I don’t wish to politicize this, we are now forced to complete this massive task within a much shorter timeframe.”

Security and Demographics

A major focal point of the Chief Minister’s address was the impact of the census on border security and state demographics. Highlighting West Bengal’s 600km porous border with Bangladesh, Adhikari emphasized that the census is a critical tool for identifying illegal infiltration.

“Our state’s demography has shifted significantly because the previous government failed to provide land to the BSF for fencing,” the CM remarked. He noted that recent trends show individuals attempting to cross back into Bangladesh because they lack the necessary documentation required for the upcoming digital census.

Looking Ahead

The entire census process in West Bengal is expected to conclude by late February 2027. The Chief Minister has appealed to all residents for their full cooperation, framing the exercise as a matter of national security and accurate resource allocation.

By transitioning to a digital format, the government aims to ensure a more transparent and tamper-proof database of the state’s population, effectively ending the long wait since the last census in 2011.

Long or Short, get news the way you like. No ads. No redirections. Download Newspin and Stay Alert, The CSR Journal Mobile app, for fast, crisp, clean updates!

App Store –  https://apps.apple.com/in/app/newspin/id6746449540 

Google Play Store – https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.inventifweb.newspin&pcampaignid=web_share