Telangana Backward Classes leaders hail govt decision to conduct caste survey

Hyderabad, Oct 10 (IANS) Leaders of Backward Classes (BC) groups hailed the Telangana government's decision to immediately start a social, economic, and caste survey of the oppressed classes.

The leaders met Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy at his residence here on Thursday and thanked him for the decision taken on the BC survey.

They also thanked Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka for it.

BC Welfare Association president Jajula Srinivas Goud, Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) president Mahesh Kumar Goud, Government Whip Adi Srinivas, MP Anil Kumar Yadav, MLA Srihari, retired IAS officer T. Chiranjeevulu and others were present on the occasion.

At a meeting on Wednesday, the Chief Minister directed officials to start the BC social, economic and caste survey process in the state immediately. The officials briefed the CM about the procedures followed by Bihar, Karnataka, and other state governments in the conduct of the BC social and economic caste survey.

Responding to the BC Commission Chairman G. Niranjan's request to create a special mechanism to survey since the state has no such facility, the CM said that the State Planning Department is being entrusted with the responsibility. The Chief Minister directed the Chief Secretary to appoint a senior IAS officer as the Coordinator between the BC Commission and the Planning Department.

The CM directed the officials to complete the socio-economic survey within 60 days and the report should be submitted by December 9 this year.

The Chief Minister said the Local Body elections will be held immediately after completion of the survey.

The Chief Minister also ordered the officials to constitute a 'One-Man Commission' for implementation of the sub-categorisation of the Scheduled Castes (SC) in accordance with the Supreme Court's recent verdict.

He said that new job notifications will be issued based on the report submitted by the one-man Commission.