Patna: Terming the caste-based census that began in Bihar on Saturday as a “historic” step, Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav said the exercise would provide scientific data to run welfare schemes for the weaker sections of the society. Noting that all parties of the ruling ‘Mahagathbandhan’ were in favor of the exercise, the RJD leader claimed that the BJP was “critical” about the survey. “The enumeration exercise began in Bihar today. It is a historic step taken by the ‘Mahagathbandhan’ government in the state. Once the exercise is completed, it will provide scientific data to the state government to do developmental work for the people, Including those who are underprivileged,” Yadav said while talking to media persons here. He also said, “BJP is an anti-poor party which has always opposed this exercise and has always been critical of caste-based head-hunting.”
Chief Minister Nitish Kumar had said on Friday that caste-based enumeration can be beneficial for all. The caste-based counting process has been a major issue in Bihar, as Kumar’s JD(U) and all constituents of the ruling ‘Mahagathbandhan’ have been demanding the exercise to be started at the earliest.
The state government launched the exercise in the wake of the Center expressing its inability to conduct caste-based enumeration other than SCs and STs.
An official said that this exercise will be conducted in two phases across Bihar.
#watch , Caste based survey will start in Bihar from today. It will give us scientific data so that budget and social welfare plans can be made accordingly. BJP is anti poor. They don’t want this to happen: Bihar Deputy CM Tejashwi Yadav pic.twitter.com/DjlQu9cSSF– ANI (@ANI) January 7, 2023
“All households will be covered in the first phase, which will run till January 21. In the second phase, which will start in March, data will be collected of people belonging to all castes, sub-castes and religions.” “Collect information about the financial status of all people,” Patna District Magistrate Chandrashekhar Singh told PTI.
Earlier during the day, he inspected the exercise being carried out by the state government employees in Bank Road area of Patna.
“The exercise is being carried out in all 12,696 blocks of Patna district,” he added.
The caste-based census will be completed by May 2023, and the state government will spend Rs 500 crore from its contingency fund for the exercise. The General Administration Department is the nodal authority for the survey.