Hyderabad: The Telangana assembly on Friday unanimously adopted a resolution for a comprehensive household caste survey to provide socio-economic, educational, employment and political opportunities to Other Backward Classes, Scheduled Castes (SCs), Scheduled Tribes (STs) and other weaker sections of the state.
The caste survey was among the guarantees promised by the ruling Congress in the run-up to the assembly elections last year. With this, Telangana will become the third state to hold such a caste-based headcount after Andhra Pradesh and Bihar.
The resolution was moved by state backward classes minister Ponnam Prabhar and adopted after a debate in the assembly.
“This House resolves to take up a comprehensive door-to-door household survey (Socio, Economic, Educational, Employment, Political and Caste Survey) of the entire Telangana state.. so as to plan and implement various socio, economic, educational, employment and political opportunities for the amelioration of Backward Classes, SC & ST citizens of the State and other weaker sections of the state,” it said.
Speaking in the House, Prabhakar said the survey would gather caste data for targeted welfare and equitable resource distribution. “This is an unforgettable day for the weaker sections. We shall move ahead with useful information regarding the welfare of all. The caste census is under the purview of the central government but we are conducting the caste enumeration in view of the conditions in the states. Through this survey, it is expected that justice will be done to SCs, STs, BCs (backward classes) and other weaker sections in the state,” he said.
{{/usCountry}}Speaking in the House, Prabhakar said the survey would gather caste data for targeted welfare and equitable resource distribution. “This is an unforgettable day for the weaker sections. We shall move ahead with useful information regarding the welfare of all. The caste census is under the purview of the central government but we are conducting the caste enumeration in view of the conditions in the states. Through this survey, it is expected that justice will be done to SCs, STs, BCs (backward classes) and other weaker sections in the state,” he said.
{{/usCountry}}He reminded the assembly that the Telangana cabinet had, on February 4, approved the decision to conduct a comprehensive household caste enumeration family survey.
Intervening in the debate, chief minister A Revanth Reddy urged all members to make suggestions on the exercise.
Deputy chief minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka said the caste enumeration is a “foundational step” for the development of the OBCs.
While senior Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) lawmaker Kadiyam Srihari welcomed the resolution, he said the exercise should be “referred to as an OBC census instead of a caste census”.
Another BRS legislator and former minister Gangula Kamalakar demanded that the government enact a legislation, rather than simply passing a resolution. “The chief minister should disclose when this exercise would be completed and when the OBCs would get proportional representation in the legislature,” he said.
The Bihar caste survey – the first in independent India to successfully enumerate all castes – last year found that OBCs comprise 63.13% of the state, SCs formed 19.65% and STs 1.68%. “Upper” castes were found to be 15.52% of the population.
Subsequently, the Bihar government hiked reservations to 75% in government jobs and education. Challenges to the survey are pending before the Supreme Court.
On January 19, the Andhra Pradesh government kickstarted an exercise aimed at creating a comprehensive database of people based on their castes.