Bhubaneswar, Apr 22 (PTI) Four Census officials, including two women, were assaulted by the members of a family in Odisha’s Dhenkanal district when they entered their premises for the house listing and housing census exercise on Wednesday, an official said.
In another incident in Khurda district, a woman enumerator was threatened by a man after she reached his home for the same purpose.
Expressing concern over the matter, the state government said it would formulate a standard operating procedure (SOP) to safeguard census officials from physical harm and heat-related risks.
The first incident happened in the Mahimanagar area of Kamakshyanagar Notified Area Council (NAC) in the morning, when a team comprising three enumerators and one supervisor had gone to collect data as part of the Census exercise that began on April 16.
“Our four Census staff members were injured in the attack by three persons, a man and his two sons. Police are probing the incident, and strict action will be taken against the attackers,” Kamakshyanagar sub-collector Dinamani Nayak said.
The two sons have been detained following the incident, he said.
The Census officials alleged that the family members attacked them as soon as they entered their house, despite being shown official identity cards and informed about the purpose of their visit.
“They asked why we had entered their premises. Even after we showed our identity cards and explained the purpose, they attacked us with stones. I suffered injuries on my face, and my two-wheeler was damaged,” said Madhusmita Behera, one of the officials.
Raghunath Dixit, another official, alleged that the family assaulted them without provocation, besides verbally abusing them.
Dixit said he sustained an injury on a finger.
Another report reaching the state government said that a female teacher identified as Ulasini Dei was threatened by a man when she reached his house at Govindpur Sahi under Tangi NAC area to collect data for the census.
After the news of the two incidents spread, Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari convened an urgent meeting of officials of the department and the census directorate.
Revenue and Disaster Management is the nodal department for Census operations in the state.
The minister said, “We have taken the matter seriously, and I will discuss it with the home secretary and the director general of police to ensure security of the census officials.” Pujari said over one lakh employees are engaged in the first phase of the census exercise which will continue till May 15.
Odisha’s Director of Census Operations, Nikhil Pawan Kalyan, said, “We will be very careful that such incident is not repeated anywhere in the state. I will talk to all the district collectors and ensure that the employees engaged in the census work get due respect.” Kalyan, who attended the meeting convened by the minister, appealed to the citizens to cooperate with the officials going to their houses for census work.
The minister further said that the census workers are also exposed to gruelling heatwave conditions in the state. They are now advised not to conduct door-to-door census operations during the peak summer from 11 am to 3 pm.
Pujari said the department will release detailed guidelines outlining protective measures, emergency response protocols, and coordination between departments.
The SOP aims to ensure smooth census operations and safeguard personnel from physical harm and heat-related risks, he said.
Meanwhile, in a letter to all district collectors, Arabinda Padhee, the additional chief secretary, revenue and disaster management, said arrangements for the safety of the enumerators should be made during the census exercise.
During the last few days, Padhee said that one enumerator has died allegedly due to heart attack after he returned from census duty in Sonepur district while a female enumerator went missing in Mayurbhanj district.
Similarly, three minor accidents and heat stroke cases have been reported from Balasore District, while one accident case has been reported from Rourkela.
“In view of the aforementioned scenario, you are requested to make necessary arrangements to address heat-related issues, identify danger aspects during collection of data for the census and track the enumerators on a regular basis for their safety and smooth data collection,” Padhee’s letter to district collectors read. PTI AAM SOM AAM NN
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