Stage set for caste survey in Telangana, public hearing from October 24

HYDERABAD: The much-awaited caste survey in the state will commence before Diwali with Telangana Commission for Backward Classes deciding to hold mandatory public hearings from Oct 24 onwards.
In its election manifesto for the 2023 assembly polls, Congress had promised to conduct a ‘caste census’ (survey) and enhance BC reservations based on the survey . Even AICC leader Rahul Gandhi had promised that a caste census would be conducted if Congress was voted to power.Since only the central govt can conduct census operations, it is officially being called a caste survey in Telangana.
As per the high court directions and the recent in structions by chief minister A Revanth Reddy, the survey of all castes and communities would be taken up along with the enumeration of Backward Classes and their socio-economic, political, educational, and financial status, and completed before Dec 9.
80 staff & 10,000 supervisors to lead door-to-door survey
The details of the survey would also be submitted to the high court. A meeting of the BC Commission, along with the officials of the state planning department, the nodal agency for conducting the survey, was held on Monday. Officials informed the commission that over 80 staff and another 10,000 supervisors drawn from all the govt departments and corporations will be deployed to conduct a door-to-door survey.
While the public hearings would commence on Oct 24, BC Commission chairman G Niranjan told TOI that the door-to-door survey will be launched in a week’s time. “The questionnaire to seek details of individuals, families, their caste, sub-caste, religion, political representa tion, socio-economic, educational status, and other details will be finalised in two to three days. Efforts are also being made to rope in 15,000 to 20,000 staff for the survey to ensure that it is completed before Dec 9,” he added.
The public hearings would be conducted in all the 10 erstwhile districts of Telangana. The commission would issue a notification for public hearings in a day or two. A day would be allocated for each district, and people could give their suggestions, objections, and make whate ver representations they want to the commission at the public hearing venue that is most likely to be an easily accessible point in the respective district headquarters.
After the survey is completed, the BC Commission, along with the planning department, would fix the reservations for the BCs in tune with their population, representation in political and other sectors, and send the report to the state govt.
“Ultimately, either the Supreme Court has to relax the 50% cap fixed by it on all reservation percentages or Parliament has to pass a law to go beyond the cap. The Congress promised a caste census, and it will do it and approach the court with survey figures to remove the 50% cap so that enhanced BC reservations can be implemented,” a senior Congress leader said.