Nitish seeks PM’s time for meeting on caste census

The last caste-based census was conducted and released in 1931, while in 1941, the data was collected but not made public. In 2011, a socio-economic caste census was carried out but the data was again not made public on grounds of “discrepancies”

Sticking to his demand for a caste-based census, chief minister Nitish Kumar Thursday said he has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi in this regard and sought his time for a meeting with an all-party delegation on the issue.

Kumar was talking to media persons after conducting an aerial survey of flood-affected areas in the state on Thursday (Santosh Kumar/HT photo)

Kumar was talking to media persons after conducting an aerial survey of flood-affected areas in the state.

Earlier on Monday, a delegation of JD (U) led by party national president Rajiv Ranjan Singh met Union home minister Amit Shah to press for a caste-based census.

Leader of Opposition Tejashwi Yadav has asked the Nitish Kumar government to conduct the exercise “on its own” if the Centre refuses to budge from its stand. Yadav also announced that his party will organise a dharna across the state to press for this demand on August 7. On the last day of the Monsoon session of Bihar assembly July 30, Yadav also met the CM on this issue.

The last caste-based census was conducted and released in 1931, while in 1941, the data was collected but not made public. In 2011, a socio-economic caste census was carried out but the data was again not made public on grounds of “discrepancies”.

Meanwhile, after conducting aerial survey of Nalanda, Gaya, Jehanabad and Patna districts, Kumar said the situation was “not very good”. “We need to be alert. If the water level of the Ganges rises further, problem may increase as there will be no option of drainage. The floodwaters have affected crops. Proper compensation will also be given after assessing farmers’ losses,” he said.