Hyderabad: The Congress government has initiated steps to fulfill Rahul Gandhi's promise of conducting a caste census in the state, with the TS Commission for Backward Classes scheduled to hold consultations with professors, former IAS officers, professionals, and activists on Wednesday.
Member-secretary B. Bala Maya Devi has requested representatives from the Peoples’ Committee on Caste Census to present their views and suggestions during the meeting. Earlier, the Revanth Reddy government had tasked the commission with preparing an action plan for the census.
The peoples’ committee had previously urged the Chief Minister to enact legislation to ensure the census is taken seriously, and to address potential legal issues. It also recommended forming a Savitribai Phule Caste Survey Commission with up to seven members to conduct socio-economic surveys of all castes.
Rahul Gandhi had emphasised the importance of a caste census for equitable budget allocation and representation in government positions. “It is like an X-ray that reveals the percentage of BCs, SC, ST,” he had said in an election rally in the state.
Committee member Prof. Inukonda Thirumali suggested delaying local body elections until the census was completed. The committee includes academics and professionals like Prof. Padmaja Shaw, Prof S. Simhadri, Prof K. Murali Manohar, Prof P. Narendra Babu, former IAS officer Akunuri Murali, Dr Venu Yadav Nagula, Devalla Sammaiah, Satish Kotte, P. Mallaiah and Prof P.L. Vishweshwar Rao who met with Revanth Reddy two days ago to discuss the initiative and called for the first consultative meeting with the BC Commission on May 22.
