Visakhapatnam: Andhra Pradesh government is commencing from Friday its comprehensive caste census for determining the socio-economic and educational progress of various caste groups in the state, starting with Visakhapatnam district.
Result of the census will help the state government take informed policy decisions on meeting the specific needs of various castes and communities.
Announcing commencement of the caste census, Vizag district collector A. Mallikarjuna said the census will be carried out in Visakhapatnam on household basis from Friday to January 28. The census will be undertaken by the secretariat staff at the village and ward level.
Census officials will be equipped with a special mobile app, with provisions to collect detailed information on caste-wise distribution and socio-economic conditions from each household in the district.
Mallikarjuna said district-level meetings have already been held about gathering inputs from diverse sections of the society. They include concerns of the residents and their expectations.
To ensure smooth execution of the census, a comprehensive training has been provided to staff at the zonal, mandal, and secretariat levels.
According to the schedule outlined by the district collector, post the household census, officials will start collecting details of abandoned houses and individuals from January 29 to February 2.
Subsequently, data will be codified and other necessary processes undertaken at the secretariat level to complete the entire process by February 15.
Mallikarjuna requested people to actively cooperate with the survey staff. He emphasised that participation in the census is purely voluntary.
