HYDERABAD: The state government is reportedly mulling the idea of enumerating the population of all the sub-castes that fall under Schedule Castes (SCs) category.
It is reliably learnt that the Cabinet sub-committee, constituted to study the Supreme Court’s judgment on sub-classification within SC and ST reserved categories and to make recommendations to the government, has decided to recommend enumeration of SC population, along with BC caste census.
The state government formed the committee after the Supreme Court gave the verdict permitting states to create SC/ ST sub-classification for according statutory reservations.
According to sources privy to the matter, the Cabinet sub-committee, which met on Friday, is also learnt to have decided to recommend appointment of a one-man commission, as is the practice in states like Punjab and Tamil Nadu, for implementation of reservations based on SC sub-classification.
It is pertinent to mention here that the BC caste census is likely to be carried out within the next three months based on the decisions made in the legislature and by judiciary.
Sources said that the committee opined that availability of a comprehensive data on SC population would help the government in understanding the caste dynamics.
The committee is headed by Irrigation & Civil Supplies Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy and comprises Health Minister Damodar Rajanarsimha, It & Industries Minister D Sridhar Babu, Transport Minister Ponnam Prabhakar, Women & Child Welfare Dansari Anasuya alias Seethakka and MP Mallu Ravi as members,
According to sources, the government believes that understanding the stark difference in caste compositions within the SC communities will help in implementing the Supreme Court verdict and providing reservations proportionate to populations, acceptable to every caste.
The committee is also believed to have sought legal opinion on appointing a commission for the implementation of reservations based on SC/ST sub-classification.
It is learnt that a team comprising bureaucrats has studied SC sub-classification reservation policy being implemented in Tamil Nadu and Punjab.