Second phase of Bihar caste census to begin today

The second phase of the caste survey in Bihar will begin on Saturday and will cover 29.2 million families, according to officials in the state’s general administration department.

The second phase of the caste survey in Bihar will begin on Saturday and will cover 29.2 million families, according to officials in the state’s general administration department (GAD), the nodal department for the exercise.

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The survey will continue till May 15. The first phase was completed on January 21.

“The second leg of the exercise will begin on Saturday. Around 15,000 officials, including enumerators and observers, have been assigned various responsibilities for the door-to-door survey,” Patna district magistrate Chandra Shekhar Singh said.

An estimated 350,000 people have been roped in to carry out the caste census. It is for the first time that the state government is conducting such an exercise to gather information on the economic social status of its population, in an apparent bid to implement social welfare schemes in a holistic manner.

The GAD, meanwhile, dismissed reports that several unions of school teachers have given a call to boycott the assigned survey work, to protest against recent rules of the state government on teachers’ appointment.

“We have not received any reports from districts about teachers boycotting the assigned work. There is much enthusiasm among the staff and the second leg of the survey will begin as per scheduled,” a GAD official said, seeking anonymity.