Centre-Telangana face-off likely on household survey

New Delhi: A face-off between the Centre and the Telangana government seems to be imminent as the Home Ministry may intervene in the 'Intensive Household Survey' to ascertain the details of 84 lakh families in the state.

A senior Home Ministry official said the Central government is seized of the matter and keeping close eye on the situation arising out of the survey that began this morning as it has raised suspicion among the people of Seemandhra origin.

"Appropriate intervention will be made by the Home Ministry at an appropriate time, if necessary," the official said.

The Central government was expecting that the situation in Telangana, particularly in Hyderabad, where tension is high, will calm down and no violent incident will take place.

"We hope that good sense will prevail and the Telangana government will not do anything that will escalate tension," the official said.

Dismissing allegations that the survey is aimed at identifying Seemandhra natives, Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao said on Sunday that the exercise is intended to ensure that benefits of government schemes reached the targeted sections.

According to the "Check Slip" posted on the website of Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC), data is sought about the number of family members in a household, water tap connection, property tax assessment, LPG and electricity connections, bank account, Aadhaar card, caste certificate, birth certificate, disability, vehicles and land owned.

The Telangana government has also defied the Centre's directive on special powers related to law and order in Hyderabad vested with the governor.

The Chief Minister had dubbed the Home Ministry's order as a "fascist act" and dashed off a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi asking him to rescind it.