Deadline extended again for caste census in BBMP limits

Exercise should be completed before May 10; 83.25 pc enumerated till May 3

The State government on Monday once again extended the deadline for completing socio-educational survey (caste census) by five more days in Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) limits. Accordingly, the enumeration should now be completed before May 10.

 The deadline for the census in other districts has been extended till May 5. The census work was to be completed on April 30. Last week, the State government had  given enumerators in districts time till May 3 and the deadline for BBMP limits was May 5. The survey is being conducted under the aegis of the Karnataka Backward Classes Commission.

However, the slow pace of census work in BBMP has left the government with no option but to further extend the deadline. This is being done despite the government claiming that 83.25 per cent of the households has been surveyed in the BBMP areas.

Addressing a press meet in the City, Social Welfare Minister H Anjaneya said that there would be no further extension of deadlines and entire Bengaluru should be covered by May 10. As on May 3, 83.25 per cent of the  23.08 lakh households in the City had been covered. Except for Udupi, Tumakuru, Dakshina Kannada, all the other districts have completed the survey.

Principal Secretary to Social Welfare department Shalini Rajneesh said that the government was contemplating to provide printouts of the filled-in enumeration forms to the respondents for verification. The copies would be issued after the forms are digitised.

The move follows concerns expressed on the authenticity of the information taken down by the enumerators during the survey. This process could take sometime as the printouts would be provided after all the forms are digitised.

Sources said that the department was also planning an online survey for those who cannot be enumerated even after May 10. A software is being developed for the purpose. However, a final decision on on-line entry of data will be taken only after May 10, the sources added.

Zone-wise enumeration as on May 3

Zone    Total number of                Percentage of households surveyed
              households

* West    4,21,868    86.83
* Mahadevapura    2,66,042    88.63
* Dasarahalli    1,56,526    83.46
* Bommanahalli    2,78,099    84.44
* RR Nagar    1,90,036    86.85
* South    4,26,446    79.08                   
* Yelahanka    1,34,271    94.20
* East                  4,34,739    74.80
      Total     23,08,027    83.25