3 min readBengaluruApr 19, 2026 03:47 PM IST
The five city corporations in Bengaluru have warned staff of stern action if they fail to carry out work assigned under the ongoing National Census.
Meanwhile, Bengaluru North City Corporation (BNCC) on Saturday issued show-cause notices to 527 employees who failed to report for enumeration work under the National Census. BNCC also said criminal cases would be filed under Section 11 of the Census Act and Section 223 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita against erring employees. This would be in addition to internal disciplinary action as per service rules.
The GBA had launched self-enumeration for the National Census 2027, allowing citizens to participate in the house-listing exercise between April 1 and 15, but this did not yield the anticipated results. According to GBA, less than 2 per cent of households registered their entries online. The door-to-door survey for the house-listing exercise has begun, and the same will be completed by May 15.
More than 23,000 enumerators and around 2,500 supervisors have been deputed for census work in Bengaluru. The first phase involves house listing and enumeration, after which the second phase of the census will begin in April 2027. If no one is present during the visit, enumerators will paste a sticker in front of the house with a contact number. Citizens can contact the number to schedule a revisit to complete the enumeration. Enumerators will initially conduct visits from 9 am to 5 pm. After one week, additional timings (6 am to 10 am, and 6 pm to 9 pm) will be introduced for the convenience of citizens. Out of 26,000 personnel involved in the enumeration process, 10,000 are teachers. Around 7,000-8,000 personnel have been exempted due to serious health issues, pregnancy, disability, mothers with infants below one year, and other valid reasons.
While the GBA claimed that each enumerator was responsible for approximately 200 houses, some enumerators complained that they had been tasked with covering more than 300 houses. A school teacher, 51, from Attiguppe said, “On paper, they say it is only 200 houses, but I am doing at least 350 houses. We have been threatened not to speak about it.”
The teacher brought along a relative, who has just completed her 10th Board examination, to help her in the census work. “I have leg pain, and I can’t do it alone in this scorching heat. She came to my place during vacation, and I brought her here,” the enumerator said.
Another enumerator said she has a lung infection but chose to do the census work instead of requesting relaxation. “If I apply for exemption, they would make me visit their offices several times and require me to answer all their queries. It is better for me to complete the census work instead. Another problem is that we haven’t received our salaries from March, and it has become tough for us,” she added.
