The Municipal Corporation Gurugram (MCG) has registered FIR against 10 employees for alleged negligence and non-compliance in connection with preparations for Census 2027.
Cases were registered under the Census Act after review found no work uploaded through official application IDs. (HT Archive)
Officials said the FIRs were lodged at Gurugram City police station under Section 11 of the Census Act 1948 for allegedly failing to perform assigned census duties and obstructing government work.
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The complaints were filed by MCG charge officer-cum-zonal taxation officers Rajesh Yadav and Dinesh Kumar.
Officials said the employees were appointed as enumerators on April 29 and 30 and were allotted house-listing survey work.
During a review on May 17, authorities found that the employees did not make a single entry through their IALO application IDs assigned for census operations, despite sufficient time being provided for the work.
Officials also alleged that the employees remained absent during training sessions and failed to begin field work despite repeated directions.
According to the complaints, the negligence affected preparations and execution of the census exercise and amounted to obstruction in official duties.
Under Section 11 of the Census Act, 1948, officers and employees deployed for census work are treated as public servants. The provision allows for penal action, including imprisonment of up to three yearsand finesamounting to 50,000, against people refusing to perform assigned duties or displaying negligence in official work.
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Police at Gurugram City police station have registered the case and initiated an investigation.
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Police at Gurugram City police station have registered the case and initiated an investigation.
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Municipal commissioner and principal census officer Pradeep Dahiya said negligence in census work would not be tolerated. “Census work is an assignment of national importance. Any kind of negligence, indifference or violation of government instructions will not be accepted. All officers and employees must ensure that the responsibilities assigned to them are carried out with sincerity and accountability,” Dahiya said.
Officials warned that strict disciplinary and legal action would continue against employees found violating directions or delaying assigned work.
The Census 2027 exercise is expected to involve extensive field-level data collection, digital enumeration and demographic documentation across urban and rural areas, they said.
Leena Dhankhar is Senior Editor and Bureau Chief, Gurugram, at Hindustan Times, where she has spent over 17 years chronicling the transformation of one of India's fastest-growing urban regions. From starting her career as a crime reporter to leading the Gurugram bureau, her journalism has been defined by investigative reporting, in-depth storytelling and an unwavering focus on public interest.
Over nearly two decades, she has reported extensively across crime, politics, civic governance, elections, real estate, environment, courts, sports, education and entertainment, covering Gurugram, Faridabad, Nuh and Palwal. Her reporting has exposed several major scams and systemic failures, including insurance frauds, waste management irregularities, illegal arms manufacturing units in Nuh, illegal mining in the Aravallis, organised crime networks and governance lapses affecting millions of residents.
Known for her investigative work and exclusive stories, Leena has reported on high-impact national issues, including the Nicaragua charter flight carrying Indian migrants that was turned back amid allegations of human trafficking, exposing the growing network of illegal immigration rackets. Her work has also focused on gang wars, prison administration, juvenile crime, women and child protection systems, the functioning of the Juvenile Justice Board and Child Welfare Committee, and environmental challenges such as pollution, waterlogging and deteriorating civic infrastructure.
Beyond hard news, Leena has extensively documented Haryana's rich heritage, forests and wildlife, bringing attention to the state's historical landmarks, biodiversity, conservation efforts and ecological challenges through immersive reportage and feature writing.
Her journalism has consistently gone beyond breaking news. She has documented Gurugram's rapid urbanisation through long-form narratives and enterprise reporting on issues ranging from pothole-ridden roads, flooding and waste management to the changing social fabric of India's Millennium City. She also writes widely read feature columns, including The Outsider, Changemaker, and Concern for Gurugram, profiling people, places and ideas shaping the city's identity.
Leena is the author of Gurugram School Murder, published by Juggernaut Books, a deeply reported account of one of India's most high-profile school murder investigations. She is currently working on her second book, an investigative work exploring some of India's most significant scams and fraud investigations.
Beyond print journalism, she has expanded her storytelling through public speaking and digital media. She is a TEDx speaker and has produced podcasts exploring Gurugram's transformation, civic challenges and untold stories. Her work reflects a commitment to narrative journalism that combines rigorous reporting with compelling storytelling.
A law graduate with an MBA in Human Resources, Leena brings a multidisciplinary perspective to her reporting, particularly on governance, public policy and legal affairs. She has travelled extensively across India to pursue investigative assignments, often reporting from remote locations and conflict-prone areas in search of stories that matter.
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