Jharkhand Plans Caste Survey for Next Fiscal Year
Click to start listening
Synopsis
The Jharkhand government has confirmed plans to conduct a caste survey in the upcoming financial year, as stated by Minister Deepak Birua. This decision follows concerns raised by the opposition regarding the lack of progress since the cabinet's initial decision in February 2024.
Key Takeaways
- Jharkhand government to conduct a caste survey.
- Minister Deepak Birua confirms commitment.
- Survey planning managed by the Personnel Department.
- Concerns raised over the delay in progress.
- Significance of the survey for socio-economic insights.
Ranchi, March 24 (NationPress) The Jharkhand government is set to carry out a caste survey in the state during the upcoming financial year, as announced by state Revenue, Land Reforms, and Transport Minister Deepak Birua during an Assembly session on Monday.
In response to a query from Congress Legislature Party leader Pradeep Yadav concerning the caste census, Birua confirmed the state government's strong commitment to the survey. He stated that the Personnel and Administrative Department has been assigned with the planning and supervision of the survey process.
During the ongoing budget session of the Jharkhand Assembly, Yadav emphasized that the state cabinet had decided to implement a caste survey on February 12, 2024. He expressed concern that despite the passage of more than a year since this decision, there has been no visible progress, demanding clarity on the survey's status.
He also highlighted that Telangana, which opted for a caste survey after Jharkhand, has already published its report in February.
Birua acknowledged that while the responsibility for a caste census lies with the Central government, he assured that the state will launch its own caste survey in the next financial year, stating, “The process of selecting the agency to conduct the survey is currently underway.”
Yadav, speaking to the media outside the Assembly, stressed the significance of a caste survey. “It is not merely a census; it serves as an X-ray and MRI of society. It uncovers not only the number of castes but also their socio-economic conditions, which is crucial for developing policies for the upliftment of Dalits, backward classes, and minorities,” he remarked.
The ruling Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) and Congress had pledged to conduct a caste census in their manifestos prior to the Lok Sabha and Assembly elections. Before the Lok Sabha polls, the state cabinet had ratified the decision to carry out this survey.
