Blurb
Nearly 6,000 staff absent as survey lapses trigger delays and cost escalation
CH NEWS
BENGALURU
The ongoing house-listing phase of Census 2027 is facing serious setbacks in Bengaluru, with widespread absenteeism among field staff, duplication of work and mounting costs raising concerns over data integrity.
Officials said that of the 26,616 personnel deployed—including 23,700 enumerators and 2,900 supervisors—nearly 6,000 are absent without authorisation. Each enumerator is assigned around 200 households, but many have reportedly failed to complete even basic enumeration tasks.
A senior Bengaluru North City Corporation official noted that extreme heat and the absence of residents during daytime visits have led several enumerators to avoid fieldwork altogether. Despite this, some have allegedly claimed completion and received payments, triggering administrative concerns.
The situation has resulted in multiple blocks being reassigned due to incomplete or untouched surveys. Replacement enumerators, who are paid approximately ₹5,000 per month, have in several cases repeated the same pattern—leaving assignments midway or failing to complete them. As a result, some blocks are being handled by up to three different enumerators, even as work on the ground remains unfinished.
Officials from the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA), which is overseeing the exercise across the city’s five corporations, admitted that such lapses have led to duplication of surveys and, in some cases, nearly threefold expenditure. They warned that inconsistencies and missing records are increasingly being reported, putting the credibility of the entire exercise at risk.
GBA Chief Commissioner Maheshwar Rao has taken a strict stance, stating that accountability will be enforced and no blanket exemptions will be allowed. The issue has also drawn attention from employees with disabilities, some of whom have sought relief from field duties. While limited exemptions have been granted in specific cases, broader requests remain under review.
With the census exercise scheduled between April 16 and May 15, officials cautioned that unless immediate corrective measures are implemented, both public funds and the reliability of collected data could be severely compromised.
In several cases, partially covered or untouched blocks have been reassigned, but replacement enumerators often repeat the same lapses, leaving surveys incomplete.