Bengaluru, 8 Oct

Home Minister G Parameshwara on Tuesday said the Socio-Economic and Education Survey report, also known as the "caste census", will either be referred to a Cabinet subcommittee or introduced in the legislature, based on what the Cabinet decides next week.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Monday said the caste census will "most likely" be placed before the Cabinet for discussion on 18 October. "We were accused of keeping the caste census in the cold storage after spending so much money. Now when we are saying that we will make it public, they are not able to take it," Parameshwara said, hitting back at the Opposition’s criticism.

Speaking to reporters here, he said everyone in the State knows that backward classes, minorities and Dalits are more in number, and in the days ahead for the government to plan and prepare programmes, the caste census will be helpful.

Depending on the views expressed during the discussion, the Minister said, it will decided whether to form a sub-committee or to table it in the Assembly.

Asked about Vokkaliga and Lingayat leaders in Congress not supporting the implementation of the caste census report, he said, "No, the question of support won't come here. Facts will be placed before the people, how can it be objected to? By spending about Rs 160 crore, a caste census was done, to know the population of various communities."

Karnataka State Commission for Backward Classes under its then Chairman K Jayaprakash Hegde had on 29 February submitted the report to the Chief Minister.

Vokkaligas and Lingayats— Karnataka's two dominant communities — have expressed reservations about the survey, calling it "unscientific", and have demanded that it be rejected and a fresh survey be conducted. -PTI