RANCHI: Ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, Chief Minister Chamapi Soren has approved the caste census in Jharkhand. After the caste census was conducted in Bihar, many parties also started demanding the same in Jharkhand. With this, Jharkhand will be the third State in the country to conduct caste census after Bihar and Andhra Pradesh.
The CM has directed the personnel department to prepare a draft (SoP for conducting the survey) and place it before the cabinet for approval. If everything goes according to the plan, the exercise will begin after the Lok Sabha elections, a senior official said.
Indicating the survey, the CM posted on X, "Jiski Jitni Sankhya Bhari, Uski Utni Hissedari (Bigger the population, bigger the share). Jharkhand is ready."
The Personnel, Administrative Reforms and Rajbhasha Department will perform the work of the caste census.
According to government sources, the problems related to the caste census have been resolved.
As per the rule book, the census is allotted to the Land and Revenue and Land Reforms Department, but the work of caste-based census was not allotted to any department in the executive rules. Thus, the Champai Soren government, finalised the Personnel Department for carrying out the survey.
The time frame for conducting the survey, however, is not yet clear. If sources are to be believed, the Personnel Department will not delay much for this. The figures of caste-based census will be revealed before the assembly elections scheduled to be held in November this year, they said.
Notably, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi had also advocated caste census during his ‘Nyay Yatra’ in Jharkhand. Gandhi had promised a nationwide caste census and the removal of the 50 per cent cap on reservation if the opposition INDIA bloc formed the government at the Centre after the Lok Sabha polls.
Congress MLA Pradeep Yadav and AJSU MLA Lambodar Mahato had also raised this issue through a calling attention motion in the Assembly following which the then Parliamentary Affairs Minister Alamgir Alam had assured them on behalf of the government that they are in favour of caste census.
After the announcement, the Action Taken Report (ATR) was also presented on the assurance of the House.