Telangana Assembly Adopts Resolution on Caste Survey Unanimously

Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy said that the survey would be like a foundation for the development of the backward classes in the state.

The resolution was moved by Backward Classes welfare minister Ponnam Prabhakar. He said, "This House resolves to take up a comprehensive door-to-door household survey (socio, educational, economic, employment, political and caste survey (Kulaganana) of the Telangana state, to plan and implement various socio, economic, educational, employment and political opportunities for the amelioration of socially and educationally backward classes, scheduled castes and scheduled tribes, mandated under clause (4) and (5) of Article 15, Clause (4) of Article 16, Article 38, Article 39, Clause (6) of Article 243 D and Clause (6) of Article 243 T of Constitution of India."

Members from the opposition benches supported the resolution but raised doubts on the assurance given by the government on the passage of a bill to give legal backing for conducting the survey, the agency that will conduct the survey, timeframe by which the survey would be completed and the proposed budget for the entire exercise.

Revanth Reddy clarified that the state government had decided to undertake the caste survey as assured during the Assembly elections. He slammed the BJP-led government at the Centre and the previous BRS government in the state for not making details of caste census conducted earlier public.

"The Congress-led UPA government at the Centre had conducted caste census across the country in 2012 but the BJP-led NDA, which came to power in 2014, has not made census details public. The BRS government in Telangana also undertook Samagra Kutumba Survey (SKS) in August 2014 where details of every household in the state were collected. Even those findings were not put in public domain," Reddy said.

Taking a jibe at the BRS government for not releasing the data of the SKS survey, he said, "They might have feared that they would face the wrath of a majority of the people for ruling the state even though they do not comprise 0.5 per cent of state's population. They might have feared that people who comprise the majority may demand more political representation and more funds."

Prabhakar said that the resolution on caste survey was moved as per the decision taken by the state cabinet on February 4.

"This is a memorable moment. Today is an unforgettable day in my life. I came into politics from the weaker sections. Many times our party leader Rahul Gandhi has mentioned caste enumeration. Accordingly, we will strive for the welfare of all sections," Prabhakar said.

“The caste census is under the purview of the central government but we are conducting the caste enumeration in view of the conditions in the state. Through this survey we hope that justice will be rendered to SC, ST, BC and other weaker sections in the state. "