Panchayat employees are legally bound to provide assistance for census work under the Census Act, 1948.

The petitioner, an Assistant Grade-III employee at Janpad Panchayat Nawagarh, challenged an order dated 09.04.2026 issued by the Collector-cum-Chief Census Officer, Bemetara.

This order "attached" or deputed the petitioner to the Census Section of the Collector’s office for census work scheduled from 01.05.2026 to 30.05.2026.

The petitioner alleged the order was issued with oblique motives, citing a prior history of litigation regarding his transfer and work allotment.

The State contended the petitioner was not "attached" in a traditional administrative sense but was deputed for statutory duties under the Census Act, 1948.

1. Whether the deputation of a Panchayat employee to the Collector’s office for census duties constitutes an illegal "attachment" or is a valid exercise of statutory power.

2. Whether the authorities have the legal mandate to call upon local authority servants to assist in census operations.

The Court primarily applied the Census Act, 1948.

Section 7 explicitly empowers the District Magistrate (or designated authority) to call upon members, officers, and servants of local authorities, including Panchayats, to provide assistance for census operations.

Persons so directed are legally bound to obey and are deemed public servants under the Indian Penal Code while performing such duties.

The Court rejected the petitioner's argument that the order was an arbitrary administrative attachment.

The Court noted that Section 7(b) of the Census Act, 1948 specifically includes "officers and servants" of Panchayat authorities as personnel who can be requisitioned for census work.

The Court reasoned that because the census is a time-bound statutory activity governed by federal legislation, the petitioner’s deputation was a fulfillment of a legal obligation rather than a routine administrative transfer with "oblique motives".

The petition was dismissed; however, the Court granted the petitioner liberty to pursue any pending administrative representations.

The Court affirmed that employees of local authorities are legally bound to comply with census duty orders issued under Section 7 of the Act.