Bengaluru: Details of the much-awaited social, economic and caste survey which was undertaken at a whopping cost of Rs 180 crore, are likely to be submitted to the state government on August 20 which coincides with the birth centenary celebrations of former CM D Devaraj Urs, the champion of the backward classes and downtrodden.
“We are planning to submit the survey data to CM Siddaramaiah on August 20 as it is an important day in the history of Karnataka. Printing of books is on” Social Welfare Minister H. Anjaneya told DC.
He said it would be an important document for the government to chalk out its policies and programmes for the upliftment of the socially and economically backward people cutting across caste and religion. This survey, billed as the brainchild of Mr Siddaramaiah, was taken up after six decades.
The last survey was done by the Britishers in 1933 since then, no government has embarked on such a massive exercise involving 1.16 lakh enumerators who spread across 30 districts to collect details from every house.
Mr Anjaneya said all details were collected from 1.36 crore households across the state by involving Karnataka State Backward Classes Commission. “Our job is to present the report to the CM, it is his discretion to put the details in the public domain,” he said.
On protests by the Veerashaiva Mahasabha and Vokkaliga Sangha that the survey was ‘unscientific’, ‘improper’ and 'incomplete', the minister said the sabha or sangha were free to take action after going through the survey data. “In a democracy, every citizen has the right to protest it is applicable to the mahasabhas and sanghas too,” he remarked.
Meanwhile, a member of the Backward Classes Commission said what they were likely to present to the government on August 20 was only the survey data and the final report would take at least a year.
However, details including social, economic and population of every caste and community would be mentioned in the data that would be handed over to the government next week. As many 54 questions were asked to each household.
“When we have taken so much pain to prepare this report, I think the government may not hesitate to make it public or else it will be a futile exercise,” he said.
