VIJAYAWADA: After announcing to conduct a comprehensive caste census in the State from November 21, the government is set to initiate the process by launching it on a pilot basis in three village and two ward secretariats on Wednesday. The caste census will be taken up in the five secretariats on an experimental basis for two days on Wednesday and Thursday.
The government will organise round table meetings at the district and regional levels involving the leaders of the different caste associations to take their suggestions on the caste-based census.
While the round table meetings at the district level will be held on Wednesday and Thursday, the meetings at the regional level will be organised at five places. The regional level meetings will be held at Rajahmundry and Kurnool on November 17, Visakhapatnam and Vijayawada on November 20, and at Tirupati on November 24.
Training for the village/ward secretariat staff, who will act as enumerators in the caste census, and officials at the mandal and at the divisional and district level, who monitor the survey, will be given in three phases.
Mentioning that Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy has taken the decision to conduct caste census in the State with a vision, BC Welfare Minister Ch Srinivasa Venugopala Krishna said, “The objective of the caste census is to ensure empowerment of the poor in all the castes.”
Speaking to media at Kakinada on Tuesday, he said caste census will be useful to fulfill the aspirations of 139 odd BC castes in the State. During the meetings to be held at the district and regional levels on caste census, suggestions will be taken from the representatives of different caste associations on the living conditions of the people of their respective communities and social issues, he explained.