PATNA: Acting on the CM Nitish Kumar’s directive, the Bihar government has planned to hold an all-party meeting over caste-wise census in the state capital in Patna on May 27.
A minister in the Nitish cabinet on Monday telephoned senior leaders of all political parties to inquire whether they are available in Patna on May 27 to attend the proposed all-party meeting over caste-census or the date should be deferred to a few days.
“Most probably, the all-party meeting will be convened on May 27. But the date is still tentative. It may be deferred to a few days, depending on the availability of leaders of different parties in the state capital and their engagement in the impending Rajya Sabha elections,” a senior government official told TOI on Monday evening.
Earlier in the day, CM Nitish Kumar said the proposed all-party meeting over caste-census could be organised on May 27, if all political parties give their consent for the date.
"We are taking the consent of different political parties to hold the all-party meeting on May 27. So far, all parties have not given their consent. If all parties give consent, the meeting will be held on May 27," Nitish said responding to media queries on the issue of holding caste-wise census in the state.
Nitish said, “You all know that the Bihar Vidhan Sabha has twice passed resolutions seeking caste-wise enumeration of population in the country. We will now hold an all-party meeting over the issue of holding caste-wise census. After taking the views of all political parties, a resolution will be sent to the cabinet for its approval. The work on the caste-census would begin after the cabinet approval.”
Earlier on May 16, Nitish had asserted that he would soon convene an all-party meeting to take a decision over the issue of caste census. He had also said, “Zyada der nahin lagega’ (it will not take long time). There would not be any too much delay in convening the all-party meeting.”
Contacted over phone, the CPI-ML legislators party leader Mehboob Alam told TOI that he received a call from the state’s parliamentary affairs minister Vijay Kumar Choudhary on Monday about the proposed all-party meeting tentatively on May 27. “The minister inquired whether I am available in Patna on May 27 to attend the all-party meeting,” Alam told this newspaper.
Alam told this newspaper that he requested the minister to hold the all-party meeting on May 27 and not defer the date.
Earlier in the day, HAM(S) president and former CM Jitan Ram Manjhi told media persons that he received a call from the state government for holding the proposed all-party meeting on May 27.
