Davanagere (Karnataka), June 16 (IANS) Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Monday stated that to ensure social justice, it is essential to understand the social and economic conditions of the people.

He emphasised that a fresh survey is necessary for this purpose and further underlined that the Union Government is not conducting a social, economic, and educational survey.

Speaking to reporters in Davanagere, the Chief Minister said the Union Government is conducting the Census from 2027 but has not indicated that it will conduct a social, educational, and economic survey.

“What we are doing is a social, educational, and economic survey, which also includes a caste census,” he clarified.

CM Siddaramaiah added, “We have no objection to the Union Government conducting the census. However, there is a difference between our survey and theirs regarding the social, educational, and economic aspects.”

Objections were raised by both the general and weaker sections of society regarding the caste census report. Most importantly, Section 11(1) of the Karnataka Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prohibition of Transfer of Certain Lands) Act mandates a re-survey after 10 years of the previous report, CM Siddaramaiah clarified.

He stated that the current re-survey is being undertaken based on this provision.

Minister for Social Welfare H.C. Mahadevappa stated in Bengaluru that a caste census is necessary for delivering good administration, but the BJP has never undertaken such an exercise.

He added that the BJP, which has been ruling at the Centre for the last two terms, has not bothered to conduct a caste census, implying that what was needed has not been done at all.

“Every day, the population of the country is increasing, and measures to control the population need to be undertaken. The number of constituencies should not be increased on the basis of population,” he stated.

Senior Congress MLA, Laxman Savadi stated in Bengaluru that to address the shortcomings of the caste census, the state government is undertaking a fresh survey.

According to Savadi, a few communities had opposed the caste census report, and to address this, the Congress high command had spoken to the Chief Minister, leading to the announcement of a fresh survey. He believes this new survey will rectify the lapses in the older one.

Savadi further added, “This would help us. Let the central government also carry out a caste census; our caste census will help to analyze facts.”

–IANS

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