Bengaluru, 3 July

Three officers from the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) have been suspended for dereliction of duty during the ongoing caste census for the Scheduled Caste (SC) population in the city. The action follows public complaints about BBMP enumerators affixing survey stickers on houses without interacting with residents.

The suspended officers — Ramesh (Revenue Inspector), Peddaraju (Tax Collector) from the East Zone, and Senthil Kumar (Tax Collector) from the Rajarajeshwari Nagar Zone — were found to have failed in supervising enumerators properly. According to the suspension order issued by East Zone Zonal Commissioner Snehal R on 2 July, the officers were instructed to ensure that stickers were placed only after enumerators contacted household members and completed the survey. They were also responsible for uploading the data via a mobile app.

However, it was observed that stickers were being placed arbitrarily on houses in HRBR Layout without any resident interaction, violating BBMP protocol. The officers failed to monitor or address this lapse, which was deemed a serious act of negligence.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah addressed public concerns, clarifying that the survey aims to ensure no SC resident is excluded. “If people are worried about improper enumeration, they can apply online, participate in door-to-door surveys, or attend camps. You only need to declare your caste through any of these methods,” he stated.

The BBMP has reiterated that enumerators must interact with residents before placing stickers and is taking steps to ensure data accuracy going forward. Officials confirmed that all three suspended officers are from the revenue division and have been relieved of duties with immediate effect.

The civic body has urged the public to cooperate with enumerators and report any irregularities during the census process to local BBMP offices.