Patna High Court stays Bihar govt’s caste-based survey
1 min read . Updated: 04 May 2023, 04:20 PM IST
PremiumAfter the stay on the caste census in Bihar, the petitioner said had it been carried out, it would be a misuse of ₹500 crore
The Patna High Court has put an interim stay on the caste-based census and economic survey in Bihar. The hearing in the petitions challenging the enumeration of castes and economic survey in Bihar was completed on Wednesday and the high court had reserved its judgment for Thursday. The petition also demanded a stay on the caste-based survey.
After the stay on the caste census in Bihar, the petitioner, Advocate Dinu Kumar, said had it been carried out, it would be a misuse of ₹500 crore.
Speaking with ANI, Dinu Kumar said, “ ₹500 crore will be spent on the caste census, which will be a misuse of money. That’s why the court has agreed that this policy is against the constitution, statute and census Act of 1948."
Advocates Dinu Kumar, Ritu Raj and Abhinav Srivastava on behalf of the petitioners and advocate General PK Shahi on behalf of the Bihar government had presented the parties before the court.
In his arguments against the Bihar caste census, Dinu Kumar told the Patna High Court that the state government was conducting caste and economic surveys. He argued that this right to conduct surveys is beyond the jurisdiction of the state government.
Advocate General PK Shahi, who appeared on behalf of the Bihar government, argued that the survey was being conducted to make plans for public welfare and to improve the social level.
The Bihar government launched the caste survey exercise on January 7.