In a significant development on Thursday, Backward Classes Commission chairman Jayaprakash Hegde handed over the long-awaited Caste Census Report to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah at Vidhana Soudha. The report, spanning over 350 pages, was conducted over a period of five years, during Siddaramaiah’s previous term as Chief Minister.
Despite the government’s acceptance of the survey report, strong opposition has surfaced, particularly from the Veerashaiva Lingayat and Okkaliga communities. These communities have labelled the report as unscientific, a sentiment echoed by some Congress leaders who have raised concerns about its validity.
After receiving the report, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah stated: “I have received the report, and after a thorough examination, it will be discussed in the upcoming cabinet meeting.”
The Caste Census Survey, initiated a decade ago, faced numerous challenges and controversies. The leaked report stirred widespread discussions, leading to delays in its submission. Now, with the Congress government back in power and Siddaramaiah resuming his role as Chief Minister, the long-anticipated report has been officially handed over.
The report was prepared under the chairmanship of Kantaraja, appointed by Siddaramaiah in 2014. The commission visited 1 crore 30 lakh families, involving 1 lakh 60 thousand government employees. The comprehensive study incurred a cost of approximately 169 crores.
Notably, Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar also expressed reservations about the report, signing his dissent. Earlier allegations from senior Congress leader Shamanur Shivshankarappa claimed that the report was prepared without proper fieldwork.
As the state awaits the government’s decision on releasing the report, the controversy surrounding the Caste Census remains a focal point of debate in Karnataka’s political landscape.