MUMBAI: After the Nitish Kumar-led grand alliance government in Bihar started the caste-based census, the Opposition in Maharashtra has voiced support for the move.
Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar has welcomed Nitish’s decision, saying the census in that state was the result of strong sentiments attached to social justice for years. He said the caste-based count will help in getting the exact number of each caste. “This will help in drawing development plans targeted at each caste group. Only then will we be able to achieve overall growth. The Maharashtra government should also start it as early as possible,” said the NCP chief.
Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patole said he was the first person to raise the demand in the Maharashtra assembly. When he was the Assembly speaker, he passed the one-line resolution in favour of carrying out the caste-based survey. “The decision was taken unanimously. But then we went out of power. The new government seems reluctant to carry out such a census.
We demand that the Maharashtra government should follow its Bihar counterpart and start the enumeration process,” said Patole. “The exercise will provide us with scientific data on each caste. It can be used to draw and implement several development plans for the previously deprived people,” said Patole.
A senior NCP leader said in the absence of authentic data, development works have failed to reach the desired levels. “We wish to remove disparity occuring between sections,” he said.