Govt orders salary cuts for absentee COs and ROs amid Census work

Patna: The govt has taken serious note of the continued absence of agitating circle officers (COs), revenue officers (ROs) and other employees from duty for over a month, which has affected the ongoing Census 2027 operations in the state. It has ordered a deduction of Rs 1,000 from the salaries of absentee officers and employees, a move likely to impact around 600 COs and ROs.The directive was issued by revenue and land reforms department principal secretary-cum-nodal officer for Census operations C K Anil to district magistrates-cum-Census officers, directing them to take necessary action. Around 600 COs, ROs and other employees across all 38 districts have been on mass leave for over a month to press their multiple demands.Sources said the step has been taken to underline that under Section 11 of the Census Act, 1948, “non-cooperation with the Census work is a punishable offence”.COs function from block-level circle offices, where ROs with different sets of work are also posted. With 534 blocks in the state, there are 534 COs and an equal number of ROs. On April 17, CM Samrat Choudhary revoked the suspension of 224 COs, ROs and employees, earlier ordered by former deputy CM and revenue and land reforms department minister Vijay Kumar Sinha. Some officers had been suspended for violation of govt orders and other serious charges. By a conservative estimate, the salary deduction directive would impact around 600 personnel.The controversy has its roots in the creation of a revenue service cadre to appoint officers at the sub-divisional level in the rank of SDRO, who could be promoted to deputy collector land reform (DCLR). COs and ROs saw their promotional avenues to the DCLR rank blocked and went on mass leave from Feb as part of their protests.Census work is already underway. The first phase, involving online self-enumeration by citizens, is scheduled from April 17 to May 1, while the second phase, covering property enumeration, will be conducted from May 2 to May 31 through household visits by govt staff. The data collected will remain confidential.“The order regarding salary deduction is meant to remind the absentee COs, ROs and others about their call to duty to cooperate with the Census work. We think they will see the reason,” the source added.