Caste-wise census to start in Bihar by Oct end as BJP flags its concern over Rohingyas, Bangladeshis
PPATNA: Amid BJP's concerns over Rohingyas and Bangladeshis being counted, Bihar government will launch the process for caste-wise census by the end of October, late nearly by a month.
The delay in conducting caste-based census as well as economic enumeration has been caused in view of the possibility of civic body elections in the state due for September-October.
On the other hand, administrative preparations are in full swing to conduct the caste-based census in the state. The Bihar government has given the task of conducting caste-based census to the General Administration Department.
The District Magistrate of the concerned district has been appointed as the nodal officer for conducting the caste-based census at the district level. All castes and sub-castes of all religions will be counted during the cumberson exercise.
The Bihar government has allocated Rs 500 crore for conducting the caste-based census and has fixed the target of completing the work by February next year.
The provision of this money will be made from the Bihar Contingency Fund. Leaders of various parties in the Vidhan Sabha will be apprised of the progress of the census from time to time. After completion of the exercise, schemes will be formulated on the socio-economic condition of various castes.
Bihar government has decided to conduct caste-based census in both offline as well as online modes. For conducting the caste-based census in the online mode, the general administration department is also developing a mobile app and it is expected that the app would be ready by the end of this month.
The caste-based census was conducted last time in 1931. Later, caste-based data was also collected during the census in 1941 but the data was not made public. Socio-economic-caste census (SECC) was conducted in 2011 too but the caste data was not released.
Bihar cabinet had passed the proposal in June to conduct the caste-based census in the state but then Nitish`s party, JD (U), was part of BJP. After political realignment in the state, it will be interesting to see how BJP responds when the process for caste-based census begins. BJP had agreed to the caste based
census in the state after showing much reluctance for it. BJP central leadership and even Union Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai had clearly ruled out holding the enumeration of OBCs in 2021 census.
Even as BJP agreed for caste-based census in Bihar, state party president Sanjay Jaiswal said the caste count should ensure Rohingyas and people did not participate in the exercise as a ‘cover for fake citizenship.