Members of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) K.P. Nanjundi and A.H. Vishwanath put pressure on the government to immediately release the Socio-Economic Survey (popularly known as caste census) conducted by the Siddaramaiah-led Congress government.
“Powerful upper-caste communities carry out rallies demanding fulfilment of their demands. But some backward communities do not even know how many of them live in the State and where. I demand that the government release the report and come clean with its stand on the issue,” Mr. Nanjundi said.
Mr. Vishwanath said that three governments, including the incumbent, seems to be afraid of presenting the report in the Assembly. “The last Backward Classes report that was ratified by the Assembly was the Havanur Commission report. There have been several reports since then, including the Chinnappa Reddy report, which have never been tabled. Caste census is key to understanding the State better and the report could lead to better distribution of wealth and become a guideline for the upcoming Budgets,” he said.
Backward Classes Welfare Minister Kota Sreenivasa Poojary said the report was ready but yet to be submitted to the State government. He said he would discuss the issue with Jayaprakash Hegde, chairman of the Karnataka Backward Classes Commission.
