Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Saturday said he would issue directions to the Social Welfare Department to take steps to conduct caste census in the State - an issue that has been pending for over nine years.

Speaking after receiving felicitation by the Karnataka State Weavers Federation in Bangalore, Siddaramaiah said, he as finance minister in the Congress-JD(S) government in 2004, had cleared the decks for the caste census.

However, the survey could not move forward for various reasons.

“The census would provide vital inputs on the social and economic conditions of various communities in the State, paving way for policy intervention and ensure social justice for the deprived. The census would require around Rs 100 crore,” Siddaramaiah pointed out.