The District Magistrate, or such authority as the State Government may appoint in this behalf for any local area, may, by written order which shall have effect throughout the extent of his district or of such local area, as the case may be, call upon—
         (a) all owners and occupiers of land, tenure-holders, and farmers and assignees of land revenue, or their agents,
         (b) all members of the district, municipal, panchayat and other local authorities and officers and servants of such authorities, and
         (c) all officers and members of staff of any factory, firm or establishment,
     to give such assistance as shall be specified in the order towards the taking of a census of the persons who are, at the time of the taking of the census, on the lands of such owners, occupiers, tenure-holders, farmers and assignees, or in the premises of factories, firms and other establishments, or within the areas for which such local authorities are established, as the case may be, and the persons to whom an order under this section is directed shall be bound to obey it and shall, while acting in pursuance of such order, be deemed to be public servants within the meaning of the Indian Penal Code (45 of 1860).