CM Okays Re-caste, Re-enumeration In Karnataka

Meanwhile, he said, the State Government has given in-principle approval for the socio-economic and educational survey report of 2015 submitted to the State Government in February last year.

The new caste survey exercise will be completed within 90-days by which a report will have to be submitted to the State Government before a decision is taken on it. “The new caste re-enumeration was discussed and decided at the meeting,” said the Chief Minister and made it clear “It is only re-enumeration of castes.”

Earlier, Siddaramaiah reached New Delhi from Bengaluru to hold discussions with Central leaders of the Congress party attended by president of All India Congress Committee Mallikarjun Kharge, Congress leader and Lok Sabha member Rahul Gandhi, Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, two general secretaries-Randeep Singh Surjewala and K.C. Venugopal.

At the meeting, he briefed the Central leaders prominently over the status of caste census which has come under opposition from a section of Ministers, religious heads and associations, the death of 11 persons in the stampede among others.

At a meeting in New Delhi, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah told reporters he agreed to a suggestions from the Central Congress party leaders to do re-enumeration of caste since the data collected by the Karnataka State Backward Classes Commission was about a decade (2015-16) and the situation demanded a new-enumeration since the data collected during the survey then is “old.”

Siddaramaiah said, the stampede incident in Bengaluru came up for discussion wherein he explained the steps initiated by the State Government such as ordering Magisterial inquiry and One-man judicial commission headed by retired Justice Michael Cunha to probe the stampede to throw light on the circumstances which led to stampede and deaths at the Chinnaswamy Stadium where Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) players where a felicitation programme was organized over the team emerging victorious in Indian Premier League (IPL)-2025 on June 4.

Part of the meeting with Congress central leaders, Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar said “The Chief Minister will announce the dates for holding re-enumeration of caste in Karnataka after making due arrangements.”

“Steps will be initiated to make people participate in re-enumeration of castes online as well other than door-to-door enumeration,” he said.

“Our agenda is to ensure all castes' interests are protected,” he said, exuding confidence that the new enumeration will not cause opposition.