Kolkata, Oct 7 (IANS) The West Bengal government has sanctioned around Rs 197.20 crore as honorarium for state government employees who will be engaged in the second phase of the Census 2027 exercise, officials said.
According to sources at the state secretariat, Nabanna, the funds have been allocated to 22 districts and seven municipal corporations across the state. The amount will be electronically transferred to the bank accounts of the respective Chief Census Officers for further disbursement.
“Instructions have been issued by the Census Cell of the state Home & Hill Affairs Department. The amount will be deposited electronically in the respective bank accounts of the ‘Chief Census Officers’ of the districts and municipal corporations,” the state government official said.
Officials said the allocation covers honorarium payments for personnel involved in the Census exercise, including state government employees and teachers of state-run schools who will carry out census duties alongside their regular responsibilities. The honorarium will be credited directly to their bank accounts.
The Census process in West Bengal is being conducted in two phases. While the first phase, comprising house listing and housing census, has already been completed, the second phase involving population enumeration and caste-based enumeration is scheduled to begin in February 2027.
“In the second phase, population enumeration and caste-based enumeration will be conducted, which will start in February 2027. The government employees and teachers in different state-run schools are engaged in this process. They will have to conduct this Census work side-by-side with their regular duties. Therefore, this money will be given directly to their bank accounts,” the state government official said.
The deployment of teachers for census-related work had earlier become a subject of litigation before the Calcutta High Court. A section of teachers challenged the state government’s decision requiring them to undertake census duties on weekends and holidays.
Following prolonged hearings, the state government withdrew the notification and accepted the court’s direction that teachers engaged in census work would be treated as “on duty” during the period of such assignments.
–IANS
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