Assam Halts Staff Transfers to Protect Census 2027 Operations

Guwahati: Assam officials blocked staff transfers today. The General Administration Department issued a strict mandate barring all departments from moving enumerators and supervisors assigned to Census 2027 duties until their work wraps up. The move forces continuity across field operations.

The order follows a spike in transfers within the Lakhimpur district. Local administrators found that teachers already trained and assigned to specific House Listing Blocks were being moved to new posts. These shifts threatened the first phase of the census, which covers house listing and housing-related data, along with the later population count.

The General Administration Department stated, "Such transfers could disrupt preparations for the upcoming census and affect field-level operations." The School Education Department now faces pressure to keep personnel in place. This directive aligns with instructions from the Office of the Registrar General and Census Commissioner, which previously warned states to prevent staffing gaps. Every appointed official must stay put until the entire exercise ends.