Hyderabad, May 1 (NationPress) Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy on Thursday appealed to the Centre to adopt the Telangana model for conducting a caste census. He proposed the establishment of a group of ministers and an expert committee to investigate the caste demographics in each state prior to the national census.

Following the Centre's announcement to include a caste count in the upcoming population census, he recommended that the Modi administration first assemble a group of ministers to foster consensus by engaging with state governments and relevant stakeholders. Afterward, a committee of experts should be formed to define the parameters for the caste census, he emphasized.

Recognizing the unique caste compositions across states, CM Reddy stated that the expert committee must conduct state visits to assess the situation, which would aid in crafting a suitable questionnaire for the census.

During a press conference, he suggested that the Centre replicate Telangana's initiative, which involved creating a group of ministers to consult with political entities, caste organizations, and civil society, analyzing the conditions across various districts.

He noted that after comprehensive consultations, 57 questions were devised to gather information for the caste census, with data collected from each family using these questions.

In the data collection effort, the state was segmented into 95,000 units. Each of the 95,000 enumerators was tasked with visiting 150 homes to gather data over a 60-day period. Additionally, a supervisor was appointed for every ten enumerators.

He mentioned that the caste census covered 96 percent of the population, and to address demands for including the remaining four percent, the government established a toll-free number for families not previously reached to provide their details.

"We have developed a comprehensive policy document for the caste census devoid of controversies, legal disputes, or political interference. The Telangana model is beneficial for everyone," he clarified, ensuring that there was no intent to undermine any group.

He proposed that the Centre dispatch its expert committee to Telangana to review the model and assured full cooperation from the state government.

Revanth Reddy stated that Prime Minister Narendra Modi must clarify when he intends to initiate and complete the process. He asserted that simply enumerating castes without thorough analysis would be ineffective.

The state government has also appointed an expert committee to analyze the caste data and recommend measures to ensure justice for various societal segments in education and employment.

The Chief Minister expressed gratitude to Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, for championing the caste census. He recalled that during Gandhi's 'Bharat Jodo Yatra', the public demanded a caste census.

"He assured that if Congress assumes power in Telangana, a caste census will be conducted. The Congress party formed the government, and within 15 months, we executed the caste census, paving the way for the nation. We achieved what had not been done for a century. The Telangana model serves as a role model for the country," he remarked.

CM Revanth Reddy also mentioned that the State Assembly passed a resolution urging the Centre to conduct a nationwide caste census.

The Congress party has taken the issue to the national stage, organizing a protest at Jantar Mantar, joined by non-NDA parties.

Claiming that the Modi government was compelled to act, he clarified that they were not aiming to politicize the issue.