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At IndiaVerve, we go beyond the noise to bring you meaningful stories of change, resilience and progress—from India to the world stage. Our mission is to bring readers credible, wide-ranging coverage across politics, business, sports, culture, society and more.
At IndiaVerve, we go beyond the noise to bring you meaningful stories of change, resilience and progress—from India to the world stage. Our mission is to bring readers credible, wide-ranging coverage across politics, business, sports, culture, society and more.
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Day: June 26, 2026

Odisha reviews census preparations for 2027 Population Enumeration

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Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government on Thursday reviewed the successful completion of the first phase of the census and preparations for the next phase, Population Enumeration, scheduled for February 2027.

The review was conducted by Additional Chief Secretary of the Revenue and Disaster Management Department, Dr. Arvind Padhee, at Lok Seva Bhawan.

During the meeting, Director of Census Operations Nikhil Pawan Kalyan informed that the first phase, comprising the House Listing Operation and Housing Census, had been completed successfully across the state. He said the exercise was carried out smoothly due to the coordinated efforts of officials and staff at various levels.

Dr. Padhee appreciated the dedicated efforts of Census functionaries, District Collectors, Municipal Commissioners, Enumerators, and Supervisors for ensuring the successful completion of the first phase. He said the contribution of field-level personnel was crucial to the successful implementation of a nationwide exercise such as the Census.

The meeting also reviewed the action plan and preparations for the second phase, Population Enumeration. Dr. Padhee directed officials to complete all preparatory activities on time to ensure the smooth conduct of the exercise.

The first phase of the Census in Odisha, comprising the House Listing Operation and Housing Census, was conducted over 30 days from April 16 to May 15, 2026. The Self-Enumeration programme was carried out from April 1 to April 15, 2026. The second phase, Population Enumeration, is scheduled for February 2027.

Concluding the meeting, Dr. Padhee extended his best wishes to the Census team and expressed confidence that the upcoming phase would also be completed successfully.

Among those present were Additional Secretaries Smt. Pragyadhara Mishra and Smt. Alomani Sethi, and Joint Directors of Census Operations Shri Hemanta Kumar Singh and Shri Haradhan Karmi.

Central govt hails Odisha’s progress under Jal Jeevan Mission

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Bhubaneswar: A team led by Ashok K. K. Meena, Secretary of the Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation under the Union government’s Jal Shakti Ministry, visited Odisha on Thursday to review the implementation of the Jal Jeevan Mission and Swachh Bharat Mission (Gramin) in the state.

At the review meeting, Meena commended Odisha’s significant progress under the Jal Jeevan Mission. He expressed satisfaction with the state government’s approach to work, saying it aligns with the objectives and priorities of the National Jal Jeevan Mission.

He advised the state to take steps to empower Gram Panchayats further to ensure the smooth operation and long-term maintenance of drinking water supply systems. He also stressed the need to swiftly transfer the management of water supply infrastructure to Gram Panchayats and Village Water and Sanitation Committees under the Central government’s ‘Jal Arpan’ programme.

In addition, he urged the state to prioritise the creation of ancillary facilities under the Swachh Bharat Mission (Gramin) and take measures to help more villages achieve ODF Plus Model status.

During the visit, Meena called on Chief Secretary Anu Garg and held discussions on the implementation, progress, and future action plan of the Jal Jeevan Mission and Swachh Bharat Mission in the state.

After the review meeting, he visited several piped water supply projects in Puri district along with Girish S. N, Commissioner-cum-Secretary of the state’s Panchayati Raj and Drinking Water Department, and Vineet Bhardwaj, Director of the Drinking Water and Sanitation Mission. He reviewed the ground-level status of the drinking water supply systems.

He visited the Lohapura Piped Water Supply Project under Jagannathpur Gram Panchayat and the Subalpur Project under Yasuapur Gram Panchayat, both in Pipili Block. Impressed by the quality of infrastructure at both projects, he commended the efforts of field-level officials and engineers.

The senior Union government official also interacted with local residents and gathered first-hand feedback on the benefits of the projects and their impact on the community.