Will table Karnataka caste survey data in cabinet in a month, says Siddaramaiah

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said that the caste survey report was recently submitted to the government and he will table it in the cabinet next month.

In Short

• Caste survey aims to uplift backward classes, says Siddaramaiah
• Survey report recently submitted to government, will be table next month, he says
• Report faced objections even allegedly by several people inside Congress

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said on Sunday that the government will table the caste survey report in the cabinet next month.

Addressing an event in Mysuru, he said, "People from the backward classes are still deprived of opportunities in our society. We must identify them and provide them with equal opportunities as others. That's why I initiated the caste survey."

“The system where we come from should be changed. We are trying to bring that change. Our government conducted the social census to recognise and uplift the marginalised sections of society. I lost power (in 2018) and it was not implemented,” Siddaramaiah was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.

"The report of the survey has been submitted recently. We will present the report to the cabinet next month," he said.

Siddaramaiah further said that the caste census has long been a “principle” of the Congress party.

“Since 1930, caste-based data has not been gathered as part of the national population census. Now, discussions on conducting caste census are gaining momentum across many states,” he was quoted as saying by PTI.

The Socio-Economic and Education Survey report was submitted to Siddaramaiah by Karnataka State Commission for Backward Classes Chairman K Jayaprakash Hegde on February 29, PTI said.

The report has faced objections from certain sections of society and even allegedly within the ruling Congress, PTI said.