Karnataka to hold fresh caste survey amid concerns flagged by stakeholders
NEW DELHI: Ending days of uncertainty, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday said his government will hold a fresh caste survey to address concerns flagged by several stakeholders.
The announcement came after the party’s top brass met Siddaramaiah and his deputy and PCC president DK Shivakumar at the Congress’ new headquarters in New Delhi, and discussed various issues, including the June 4 stampede in Bengaluru.
Siddaramaiah said the new survey will be completed within 90 days.
“At the meeting, the leadership said the report submitted on the caste census has been accepted in principle. However, concerns were raised by some organisations, religious heads, and a few ministers as the last survey was conducted in 2015. So we have agreed to hold a fresh caste enumeration,” the CM said.
The decision comes ahead of the state Cabinet meeting on June 12, which will discuss the contentious social and educational survey (caste census) report, which was released in April.
Though the report has been discussed in as many as three Cabinet meetings, the state government failed to reach any consensus.
Shivakumar said the caste census would be redone to allay doubts of various communities over the sanctity of data, and that the government has plans to finalise the resurvey of the caste census in the next Cabinet meet on June 12
“Data will be collected through door to door and online surveys. The process would be done in a very transparent manner. We will correct all concerns expressed about the previous caste census. Online option is given so that people of our state can... be enumerated even if they are living outside the state,” he said.
The state government has been facing heat from opposition and party leaders for ‘unscientific data’. Several leaders from Lingayat and Vokkaliga communities opposed the report, saying their numbers were less than what had been previously extrapolated.
While the survey pegged total population of backward classes at 70%, Lingayats were about 11% while Vokkaligas were 10.29% of the population.
Human lives of great value to congress: Rahul
On the stampede issue, a source said Rahul Gandhi told the CM and PCC president that human lives are of great value to the Congress and the government has to be responsive towards people.
