a day ago
- Politics
- New Indian Express
CM Siddaramaiah announces fresh SES survey after special Karnataka Cabinet meeting
BENGALURU: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Thursday declared that a fresh Socio-Economic and Educational Survey (SES) survey (caste census) will be conducted to address the concerns of all communities, including that of Veerashaiva Lingayaths and Vokkaligas.
The decision was taken in a special Cabinet meeting, following the Congress high command's advice when the Chief Minister and Deputy Chief minister DK Shivakumar met the party leadership in New Delhi on Tuesday.
Speaking to media persons after the Cabinet meeting, Siddaramaiah cited the lapse of 10 years since SES-2015 as the reason for going for the fresh survey. The CM said the survey report will not be valid after 10 years as per Section 11 of the Backward Classes Act as there will be changes in population, educational, and social developments.
Responding to a question about the assurance given in the manifesto about the implementation of the report, the CM said that in the backdrop of changing social conditions and the guidance of the party high command, it has been decided to review it in the special Cabinet meeting.
'Given the lapse of 10 years since the SES-2015 was conducted, the Cabinet has decided to conduct a fresh survey as per Section 11 (2) of the Karnataka State Backward Classes Commission Act, 1995', he said.
Ten years have passed since the Kantharaju-led commission conducted the survey and section 11 (1) states that a fresh survey should be conducted after 10 years, the CM said.
He said the report and its recommendations were not finalised when he was Chief Minister from 2013-2018. But in 2018, the report was finalised and the Kantharaju Commission had approached the then backward classes minister Puttarangashetty to accept the report, Siddaramaiah said.
'But HD Kumaraswamy exerted pressure on Puttarangashetty that he should not receive the report, so he did not receive the report. After Kantharaju's term ended, the BJP government appointed Jayaprakash Hegde as the Chairman of the Commission. The members were also from the BJP. Hegde made recommendations based on the survey data. The recommendations were submitted to the government on February 29, 2024,' he said.
