Caste census: CM Siddaramaiah says technical issues nearly sorted, survey to proceed in full swing
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Friday said the technical issues affecting the Social and Educational Survey—widely referred to as the "caste census"—have "almost been sorted out" and that the survey will proceed in a full-fledged manner.
He asserted that the survey would be completed within the stipulated period and stressed there would be no extension.
Concerns have been raised over the "slow pace of the survey", with technical glitches and server issues hampering data collection.
Siddaramaiah chaired a video-conference meeting with ministers, senior officials, Backward Classes Commission Chairman Madhusudan R Naik, Deputy Commissioners (DCs), and Zilla Panchayat CEOs of all districts.
The survey, being conducted by the Karnataka State Commission for Backward Classes, began on September 22 and is scheduled to continue until October 7.
"The survey work started on September 22 and will be completed by October 7. There are some technical issues, all of which have to be resolved. They have almost been sorted out. So, the survey work will be held in a full-fledged manner from today," Siddaramaiah said.
Speaking to reporters, he said all DCs and CEOs had been instructed to take the survey "very seriously" to ensure it is completed within the deadline.
"There is no question of extension of the survey period. The survey will have to speed up. From today, in all districts it will speed up, including in Bengaluru," he added.
The Karnataka High Court on Thursday declined to stop the survey but directed the State Backward Classes Commission to maintain the confidentiality of the collected data and ensure the voluntary participation of citizens.
The chief minister assured, "Whatever conditions imposed by the court will be followed."
Enumerators, mostly government school teachers, visiting households door to door, have faced technical problems with the survey app in several locations.
Officials said server issues, failure in OTP generation, and network disruptions have affected data collection.
Acknowledging delays, Siddaramaiah said, "According to DCs, over 90 per cent of the issues have been sorted out and the remaining issues will be resolved soon. I have told the commission and the secretary to resolve all the issues. All the issues will be resolved, probably by today. The backlog of the last four days should be covered in the coming days."
He added that DCs and CEOs had been directed to hold daily review meetings and address any issues immediately. Further, regional commissioners, in-charge secretaries of districts, and District in-charge ministers have been instructed to ensure coordination and oversee the survey.
"So far, only 2–4 per cent of survey progress has been achieved daily. Strict instructions have been given that a minimum of 10 per cent progress should be achieved every day," Siddaramaiah said.
Officials said while the goal is to cover all 1.43 crore families in the state, only 2.76 lakh families have been surveyed thus far.
Assuring remuneration for enumerators, Siddaramaiah said, "There are media reports that there is resistance in some places from teachers (who are enumerators). There may be some misconceptions. There is no resistance from anywhere. If anyone resists and doesn’t cooperate, action will be taken in accordance with the law."
The survey will involve around 1.75 lakh enumerators covering about 7 crore people across the state.
Conducted at an estimated cost of Rs 420 crore, the exercise uses a 60-question questionnaire and is being carried out "scientifically", officials said.
The commission is expected to submit its report to the government by December.
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Will not tolerate bias of Congress anymore: Muslim organisations of Karnataka slam party
Bengaluru: Representatives of leading Muslim organisations, associations and unions from across Karnataka have issued a strong and sharply worded joint statement, declaring that the Muslim community “will no longer tolerate” what they described as the biased attitude of the Congress party towards the community and its leaders.
The organisations said the united support extended by Muslims in the state was the main reason for the Congress party coming to power. However, they alleged that the party and its government are not treating Muslims with dignity, and that there is growing anguish within the community over being repeatedly insulted by denial of proper representation in political appointments and key positions in the bureaucracy.
Referring to the Davangere by-election and recent developments, the statement said the Congress party appears to have sent a clear message to Muslims: “You are merely a vote bank for us. Your job is only to vote for the Congress party. Positions, status, representation and opportunities in the party are alms that we give. If you question your rights or the injustice done to you, disciplinary action will be taken.”
The organisations said this approach is unacceptable and warned that the community will no longer remain silent. They questioned the party’s disciplinary actions against certain Muslim leaders, asking what action had been taken in similar situations in the past involving others. “Otherwise, a serious question arises as to whether the party’s disciplinary rules are applicable only to one community,” the statement said.
Calling the issue one of dignity, the organisations said it is not just about a few individuals but concerns the entire Muslim community. They criticised the Congress for taking unilateral decisions without consulting religious and social leaders and said such actions cannot be justified as mere political decisions.
The statement also accused the party of portraying Muslims as being wrong for asking for fair representation. It said it is not fair to expect the community to campaign for the party without giving them tickets that should have been given fairly, and then initiate disciplinary action on what were described as trivial grounds. The organisations termed the attitude of “you should have simply obeyed what we said” as highly condemnable.
They also expressed concern over what they described as attempts by the party leadership to pit leaders of the Muslim community against each other. At the same time, the statement criticised certain leaders within the community for choosing to pursue personal interests instead of standing firmly against what it called discriminatory policies.
Drawing a comparison, the organisations said that when leaders from some communities commit even serious mistakes or make direct statements against the party, no action is taken and they are instead rewarded. “But if leaders from a particular community deviate even slightly from the party’s diktat, they are subjected to severe punishment this is not fair, this is not acceptable,” the statement said.
Warning of political consequences, the organisations said such discriminatory behaviour will harm the Congress party in the coming days and could lead to a serious setback. They said Muslims had supported the party to ensure a secular government based on constitutional values and to prevent divisive forces from gaining power. However, treating this support as a weakness and assuming that the community has no alternative would prove “politically very costly” for the party.
The organisations strongly condemned what they termed as mistreatment of the community in the name of political calculation and demanded that such unilateral decisions be stopped. They also called for the present decision to be reconsidered.
The statement was issued by a wide group of leaders and organisations, including Maulana Syed Tanveer Hashmi, President, Muslim Muttahida Council, Vijayapura; Abdul Khadeer Saheb, President, Shaheen Group of Educational Institutions, Bidar; Maulana Shabbir Ahmed Nadvi, President, Welfare of Humanity Foundation, Bengaluru; K. S. Mohammed Masood, President, The Muslim Central Committee, Dakshina Kannada and Udupi District and former President of the State Minorities Commission; Haji Mohammed Hanif, General Secretary, The Muslim Central Committee, Dakshina Kannada and Udupi District; Muhammad Maula, President, Udupi District Muslim Okkuta; Yaseen Malpe, Immediate Past President, Udupi District Muslim Okkuta; Maulana Abdul Raqeeb MJ Nadvi, General Secretary, Majlis E Islah Wa Tanzeem, Bhatkal; Ashraf Ali Basheer, Convenor, Muslim Voice of Karnataka, Hubballi; Dr Abdul Kareem, former President, Karnataka State Minorities Commission, Hubballi; K. Ashraf, President, Dakshina Kannada District Muslim Okkuta; Muhammad Hanif, Secretary, Dakshina Kannada District Muslim Okkuta; Maulana Abdul Azeez Darimi, Leader, Sunni Yuvajana Sangha Karnataka; Haji Abubakar Nejar, District President, Sunni Samyukta Jamaath, Udupi District; Mohammad Rafiq, District President, Karnataka Muslim Jamaath, Udupi District; Rafiuddin Kudroli, President, Uniwef Mangaluru; Kasim Shuaiburrahman Qureshi, President, All India Jamiatul Qureshi, Karnataka; Afzal Mahmood, Secretary, Karnataka Muslim Political Forum, Gulbarga; Jabbar Kalaburagi, President, Karnataka Muslim Unity, Bagalkote; Nisar Ahmed, State Coordinator, Eddelu Karnataka, Mangaluru; Naqwa Yahya Malpe, President, Namma Naada Okkoota, Udupi District; Afsar, President, Karnataka Souharda Okkoota, Mandya; Advocate Abdul Jabbar Gola, Vice President, Joint Action Committee, Gulbarga; Advocate Anshad Palya, State Committee Member, All India Lawyers Association, Karnataka and Leader, Hassan District Muslim Organisations Federation; Haji Suleiman Saheb, President, Thirthahalli Taluk Joint Muslim Federation; and Mujahid Pasha of Al Jamaatul Quraish Trust, Basavakalyan.
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