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Tamil Nadu government to move Centre seeking caste census: CM
Stalin also announced the government’s plans to upgrade 10,000km of rural roads at an outlay of ₹4,000 crore under the Chief Minister’s Rural Road Development Scheme, which was extended by two years
Tamil Nadu chief minister MK Stalin on Monday said that the ruling DMK would move a resolution seeking a nationwide caste census during the current assembly session.
The issue was raised during the debate on the demand for grants for higher education and school education departments. Stalin was responding to a question from NDA member Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) on internal reservation for the Vanniyar community in jobs and education. Stalin told PMK’s legislative party leader GK Mani to speak to the BJP-led Union government to get the caste census done.
The PMK was previously an ally of the AIADMK, who in the previous regime gave the Vanniyar community 10.5% reservation within the 20% quota of the Most Backward Classes (MBC) ahead of the 2021 assembly elections. Subsequently, the Madras high court and Supreme Court struck down the reservation.
Stalin said that an internal reservation could not be brought in without a caste census. “If we are to find a good solution to the issue, the Union government must soon undertake the caste census along with the population census,” Stalin said. “We have decided to move a resolution in the current session of the state assembly.”
Stalin also announced the government’s plans to upgrade 10,000km of rural roads at an outlay of ₹4,000 crore under the Chief Minister’s Rural Road Development Scheme, which was extended by two years.
Village roads are crucial for the development of the rural economy, Stalin added. “It eliminates social economic inequalities and accelerates development,” he said.
“That is why our government is constantly giving priority to the development of bus routes, arterial roads that link small villages and other roads that connect important services,” the CM added.
