Telangana Caste Census: Govt offers second chance, public can call surveyors to visit home, says Bhatti

Hyderabad: The Telangana State government has decided to provide an opportunity for those who did not furnish their details in the caste census survey conducted earlier, said deputy chief minister Bhatti Vikarmarka Mallu.

Speaking to the media at Dr BR Ambedkar Telangana State Secretariat here on Wednesday, Bhatti said around 3.1 per cent of the population in Telangana did not participate in the recently concluded caste census survey due to various reasons.

‘Public can phone surveyors to come home from February 16 to 28'

Keeping this in mind and following the requests from the public, the survey would be conducted once across the State by the enumerators from February 16 to 28.

“If the public calls the toll-free number and requests that their information be registered, officers will visit the caller’s home and record the information needed. For the next 10 days, public administration officials will be available at mandal offices. Details can be registered there. The State government has decided to provide the opportunity to register family details online,” he said and called upon the public who did not participate in the earlier conducted survey to furnish their details to the enumerators.

Will pass the OBC reservation bill, says deputy CM

Taking a jibe at the Opposition parties for making unnecessary hue and cry over the caste census survey report, the deputy chief minister has asked BRS party chief K Chandrashekar Rao (KCR) and his son KT Rama Rao (KTR), other BRS and BJP leaders to furnish their details to the enumerators during the caste census survey.

“The State government is committed to providing 42 per cent political, education and employment reservation to the OBCs as per the election promise of ruling Congress. We will make BCs’ decades-old dream come true and pass the OBC reservation bill in the Assembly and put it in the Parliament. The OBC reservation bill would pass in the Assembly in the first week of March to hike the reservation to OBCs to 42 per cent even as it decided to accept data from citizens who were left out during the caste survey conducted by it last year," Bhatti said.

The Congress had announced a 'BC Declaration' before the assembly elections in 2023, promising to increase BC quota to 42 per cent from 23 per cent in local bodies to provide new political leadership positions for them, besides giving 42 per cent reservation in government civil construction and maintenance contracts.

The deputy chief minister said the state government would mount pressure on the Centre to see that the bill passed in the assembly gets Parliament's nod as provision of 42 per cent reservation for OBCs coupled with quotas for other communities would lead to breaching of the 50 per cent cap on reservations.

Besides enlisting the support of Congress MPs, a state government delegation would meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi, other senior ministers and also leaders of all parties who have representation in parliament to drum up support for the bill, he said.

"With the cooperation of all of them, we will get it passed in parliament. We are starting the process of realizing the decades-long dreams of OBCs, giving it statutory status," he said.

The government would take along all those parties who are willing to join to meet the PM and leaders of other parties, he said.

Caste survey in other states

Bhatti also stated that if the caste enumeration is successful in the State, it will have to be replicated across the country, and they are demanding a re-survey.

"A complete scientifically comprehensive house-to-house survey was undertaken in the State with over one lakh personnel, unlike anywhere else in the country. CM Revanth Reddy indicated that the number of any group in the State is enormous, citing figures in the Legislative Assembly and that a discussion was held as well," he said.

Bhatti appealed to political parties, social activists, intellectuals and people to come together for the approval of the bill to provide reservations to OBCs and gather support. The OBCs constitute 56 per cent of the State’s population, he added.

Asked if the local body polls which are due would be held after the completion of the entire process, he said the wish of backward classes (including backward sections among Muslims) who constitute 56 per cent of the state's population as per the caste survey to provide legal status to their demand takes precedence.

The government would make all efforts to provide statutory status to their demand for quotas, he said. Asked if the local body polls would not be held until the Centre resolves the issue, Vikramarka expressed confidence that it would approve of the move.

BC Welfare Minister Ponnam Prabhakar, chief secretary A Santhi Kumari, Planning Department principal secretary Sandeep Kumar Sultania and others participated.