Karnataka's fresh caste census to cost Rs 420 crore: CM Siddaramaiah

Bengaluru, Sep 12 (PTI) Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Friday said the state's Social and Educational Survey, popularly known as the 'caste census' will be conducted between September 22 and October 7 at an estimated cost of Rs 420 crore.

He said the survey will be conducted "scientifically," with a 60-question questionnaire prepared for the exercise.

"To know the social and educational status of 7 crore people, a fresh survey is being conducted by the Karnataka State Commission for Backward Classes, headed by Chairperson Madhusudhan R Naik. They have been asked to complete the survey and submit the report at the earliest. The commission has said it will submit it by December," Siddaramaiah told reporters here.

The chief minister said government school teachers will be deployed for the survey during the Dasara holidays. They will be given training and each one of them will survey 120-150 houses in a block.

"About 1,75,000 government school teachers will be employed for the survey, each receiving remuneration of up to Rs 20,000. Remuneration is the major cost component, amounting to around Rs 325 crore. Overall, Rs 420 crore has been allocated for the survey, and additional funds will be provided if needed," he added.

The government had spent Rs 165.51 crore on an earlier Social and Educational Survey in 2015, which was later discarded.

Emphasising that the survey is a crucial step towards achieving social justice and providing equal opportunities for all 7 crore people and 2 crore families in the state, as enshrined in the Constitution, the CM appealed to citizens to participate in this survey, answer all the questions put forth by the enumerators truthfully and to the best of their knowledge.

"To help you prepare, Asha workers will visit your house in advance, before the survey, to provide the application form," he said.

Each household will be geo-tagged using its electricity meter number and will be assigned a Unique Household ID (UHID), a process that has already been completed for 1.55 lakh houses. Even households without an electricity connection will be thoroughly surveyed to ensure no one is excluded, Siddaramaiah said.

During the data collection process, ration cards and Aadhaar details will be linked to mobile numbers. The survey itself will consist of a detailed questionnaire containing 60 questions, regarding details like religion, caste, educational qualification, social situation, employment, land holding among others, he said.

For those who are not at home during the survey and to address grievances, if any, a dedicated helpline number (8050770004) has been set up. Citizens can also participate online, he added.

Responding to a question on this caste census, amid caste enumeration in the national census announced by the centre, Siddaramaiah said, the national census will not have a socio-educational survey data.

The Karnataka Cabinet on June 12 approved a fresh survey, effectively nullifying the 2015 exercise, citing Section 11(1) of the Karnataka State Commission for Backward Classes Act, 1995, which mandates a revision of the state backward classes list once every 10 years.

The decision followed directions from Congress leaders, including party President Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi, to hold caste re-enumeration to address complaints from communities excluded from the previous survey.

Several communities, notably Karnataka's two dominant groups--Vokkaligas and Veershaiva-Lingayats--had expressed strong reservations about the 2015 survey, calling it "unscientific" and demanding a fresh enumeration. There were also opposing voices from within the ruling Congress party for the 2015 survey. PTI SSK KSU ADB