Assam govt suspends transfer of census staff until exercise gets over

Guwahati, Aug 13 (AHN) The Assam government has directed all departments to ensure that officials and employees appointed as enumerators and supervisors for Census 2027 are not transferred until they complete their assigned responsibilities, officials said on Thursday.

The directive was issued by the General Administration Department (GAD) following concerns raised by certain district administrations over the transfer of teachers who had already undergone mandatory census training and been assigned House Listing Blocks.

The GAD, in a communication to the School Education Department, said shifting trained personnel during the preparatory phase could disrupt census operations and create difficulties in conducting field‑level activities.

According to the department, the concerned teachers had completed census‑related training and were allotted specific House Listing Blocks under different census charges in Lakhimpur district. The district administration had flagged the issue, stating that transferring the trained personnel could affect preparations for the first phase of Census 2027, which includes house listing and collection of housing‑related information, as well as the subsequent population enumeration exercise.

The state Government had earlier instructed its administrative departments to refrain from transferring personnel assigned to census duties until the completion of the exercise. The latest communication reiterates the importance of maintaining continuity among trained personnel involved in the massive nationwide exercise.

The GAD’s direction also follows advice from the Office of the Registrar General and Census Commissioner, which has asked states to ensure continuity of personnel engaged in census‑related work.

The Assam Government has now asked the School Education Department to issue appropriate instructions to ensure that teachers and other personnel appointed as enumerators or supervisors remain available at their designated places until their census responsibilities are completed.

Officials said retaining trained personnel would help avoid the need for fresh deployment and training, thereby ensuring that field‑level preparations remain on schedule.

The census exercise requires extensive coordination between the state administration, district authorities and personnel deployed for house listing and population enumeration. Enumerators and supervisors form the crucial link between administrative planning and field‑level data collection.

The Government’s decision aims to prevent administrative disruptions and ensure that personnel already familiar with census procedures and assigned areas remain available throughout the exercise.

The directive is expected to provide greater clarity to departments and district administrations while ensuring smoother implementation of Census 2027 preparations across Assam.