West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Friday accused the previous state government of failing to initiate the Census process despite receiving communication from New Delhi in February last year. Addressing a press conference at Nabanna after an administrative meeting on the Census, the Chief Minister alleged that the Mamata Banerjee-led government neither acted on the Centre’s directive nor responded to the letter.
Calling the role of the former administration “unfortunate,” Adhikari claimed that political considerations delayed the start of Census-related work in the state. He further alleged that the then Chief Secretary had also waited for political consensus before moving ahead with the exercise. According to him, while other states progressed with preparations, West Bengal lagged behind because no groundwork had been undertaken earlier.
The Chief Minister said that after assuming office, his government moved quickly to address the delay. He stated that during the first Cabinet meeting held on May 11 in the presence of the Chief Secretary, one of the key decisions was to begin preparations for the Census.
Adhikari announced that the Census process in West Bengal will begin on August 1 and continue till February next year. Rashmi Komal has been appointed as the Census Director and will oversee the entire process. The Chief Minister said data collection activities will initially be carried out between August 1 and 15.
He also released two toll-free helpline numbers for citizens to report complaints or seek assistance regarding the Census process. Emphasising technological upgrades, Adhikari said that for the first time the Census in the state will be conducted digitally.
After nearly 15 years, government employees assigned for the Census will collect information using their mobile phones. Officials will be provided with a dedicated mobile application through which the collected data will be uploaded directly to a central server. Sources in the central government indicated that development of the special application is nearing completion.
During the meeting at Nabanna, the Chief Minister stressed that the Census exercise should not be linked with politics. He described it as a constitutional responsibility and appealed to citizens across all sections of society to cooperate with officials to ensure smooth completion of the process.
Adhikari also referred to the state’s international border with Bangladesh while explaining the importance of the Census. He said nearly 600 kilometres of the border remain unfenced, leading to changes in demographic patterns in bordering regions because of infiltration. Although he did not directly connect the issue with the Census exercise, he maintained that the population survey is particularly significant for West Bengal under such circumstances.
The Chief Minister further alleged that the previous Trinamool Congress government failed to provide land to the Border Security Force for construction of border fencing and surveillance posts, which, according to him, weakened efforts to curb illegal infiltration from Bangladesh. Referring to visuals frequently aired on television channels, he claimed that people had witnessed how infiltration took place across the border.
The upcoming Census exercise is expected to be one of the largest administrative operations undertaken in the state in recent years, with digital technology playing a central role in the collection and management of data.
