Bhubaneswar: Census operations may be suspended if temperatures rise further, Odisha Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari said on Wednesday.
A Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for the safety of census staff will be issued soon. The minister said there have been reports of officials falling ill while on census duty amid the prevailing heatwave.
A meeting of departmental officers has been convened on Wednesday, which will be followed by a discussion with officers involved in the census.
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Steps will be taken to protect government employees, and a new SOP will be issued for their safety, he added.
“The safety of government employees and people is a major responsibility,” Pujari said, referring to the recent attack on census officials in Kamakhyanagar.
“Discussions have been held with the Home Secretary and the DGP regarding the incident. There is no room for the culprit. Whoever committed the attack, even if hiding, will be brought to justice. Further discussions will be held with the Home Department.”
Meanwhile, schools and colleges in some parts of the state have been closed till April 23 due to the heatwave. The minister said the closure period will be extended further if necessary.