Hyderabad, 04-02-2025: The Telangana Assembly was the scene of intense debate on Tuesday as the state government tabled the recently conducted socio-economic caste survey report during a one-day special session. The Assembly also adopted a resolution urging the Central Government to conduct a comprehensive door-to-door caste survey across the country, aiming to address the historical underrepresentation of backward classes.
Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy hailed the survey as a historic initiative and emphasized its significance for the socio-economic upliftment of backward communities. He pointed out that neither BRS supremo K Chandrashekar Rao (KCR), his son KT Rama Rao (KTR), nor BJP MP DK Aruna participated in the survey, raising questions about their commitment to the cause.
Reddy highlighted the lack of official data on weaker sections in India, noting that since 1931, no comprehensive enumeration of these communities has been conducted, making the implementation of BC quotas challenging. “Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, during the Bharat Jodo Yatra, promised a caste census in Telangana, a pledge we fulfilled as soon as we came to power,” said Revanth Reddy, emphasizing the government’s commitment to transparency and inclusivity.
According to Reddy, the survey was conducted efficiently with 76,000 data entry operators working tirelessly over 36 days, at a cost of Rs 160 crore. Enumerators collected data from every village and Tanda, using 150 households as a basic unit for data collection.
“We took this decision to give due respect to the BCs, who constitute 56% of Telangana’s population. This report serves as a role model for the nation,” Reddy added, while congratulating everyone involved in the project.
However, KTR criticized the Congress-led government, accusing it of deceiving the Backward Classes by failing to introduce a 42% reservation bill, as promised in the Kamareddy BC Declaration meeting.
“Simply making an announcement is not historic. We expected a legally binding bill to ensure 42% reservations for BCs, but what we got was a statement lacking substance,” KTR argued. He accused Congress of manipulating statistics, questioning the authenticity of the new report, which claims that the BC population has decreased from 51% to 46%.
KTR also recalled past incidents when Revanth Reddy discouraged participation in the Comprehensive Household Survey conducted by the BRS regime, suggesting that the current administration was selectively acknowledging data.
“The Samagra Kutumba Survey conducted by the previous government indicated that BCs constitute 51% of the population, increasing to 61% with BC Muslims included. How can the current survey present a lower figure?” KTR questioned, adding that a Congress MLC even called for burning the official report, raising serious concerns over data transparency.
The Assembly’s resolution to conduct a nationwide caste survey has added fuel to the ongoing debate around caste representation and reservations. The Telangana government’s move to present a socio-economic caste survey report and its subsequent adoption of the resolution are seen as significant steps in the broader struggle for social justice.