<p>Bengaluru: The opposition BJP on Tuesday tore into the Congress for <br>“wasting taxpayers’ money” after Chief Minister Siddaramaiah announced that caste survey will be conducted afresh, virtually junking the enumeration that was done under the 2015 Social and Educational Survey.</p>.<p>Taking to X, Karkala MLA and BJP leader V Sunil Kumar accused Siddaramaiah of “fooling” people for the past one decade on the issue.</p>.<p>“The Congress high command has scrapped the caste census report prepared by the state government. This report, which was prepared at a cost of Rs 150 crore, is a huge waste of taxpayers’ money and a great disservice to the backward and marginalised communities,” said Kumar, a prominent OBC (Ediga) leader in the BJP.</p>.Unable to pay contractors on time, Karnataka govt now ‘formalises’ delay .<p>Explaining that the BJP had pointed to “discrepancies” in the data of the caste census report, Kumar accused Siddaramaiah and the Congress High Command of hurting the sentiments of the backward and marginalised communities in the state.</p>.<p>He urged the chief minister and the Congress to apologise to the people of the state.</p>.<p><strong>Mahasabha welcomes move</strong></p>.<p>The All India Veerashaiva Mahasabha, one of the most vocal critics of the current caste census report, along with the Rajya Vokkaligara Sangha, welcomed the Congress High Command’s decision directing the state government to conduct a re-enumeration of caste data.</p>.<p>“The Mahasabha has been criticising that the report is not scientific and transparent. If the state government rectifies the earlier lacunae, uses modern technology, takes everyone into confidence and conducts a survey, the Mahasabha’s president Shamanur Shivashankarappa has expressed complete support on behalf of the organisation,” a press note by the Mahasabha Secretary H M Renuka Prasanna said.</p>.<p>Currently, the state Cabinet is discussing the Social and Educational survey (caste census) report. While the survey was conducted in 2015-16, a report based on that data was submitted to the government by the Permanent Backward Classes Commission in February 2024.</p>
<p>Bengaluru: The opposition BJP on Tuesday tore into the Congress for <br>“wasting taxpayers’ money” after Chief Minister Siddaramaiah announced that caste survey will be conducted afresh, virtually junking the enumeration that was done under the 2015 Social and Educational Survey.</p>.<p>Taking to X, Karkala MLA and BJP leader V Sunil Kumar accused Siddaramaiah of “fooling” people for the past one decade on the issue.</p>.<p>“The Congress high command has scrapped the caste census report prepared by the state government. This report, which was prepared at a cost of Rs 150 crore, is a huge waste of taxpayers’ money and a great disservice to the backward and marginalised communities,” said Kumar, a prominent OBC (Ediga) leader in the BJP.</p>.Unable to pay contractors on time, Karnataka govt now ‘formalises’ delay .<p>Explaining that the BJP had pointed to “discrepancies” in the data of the caste census report, Kumar accused Siddaramaiah and the Congress High Command of hurting the sentiments of the backward and marginalised communities in the state.</p>.<p>He urged the chief minister and the Congress to apologise to the people of the state.</p>.<p><strong>Mahasabha welcomes move</strong></p>.<p>The All India Veerashaiva Mahasabha, one of the most vocal critics of the current caste census report, along with the Rajya Vokkaligara Sangha, welcomed the Congress High Command’s decision directing the state government to conduct a re-enumeration of caste data.</p>.<p>“The Mahasabha has been criticising that the report is not scientific and transparent. If the state government rectifies the earlier lacunae, uses modern technology, takes everyone into confidence and conducts a survey, the Mahasabha’s president Shamanur Shivashankarappa has expressed complete support on behalf of the organisation,” a press note by the Mahasabha Secretary H M Renuka Prasanna said.</p>.<p>Currently, the state Cabinet is discussing the Social and Educational survey (caste census) report. While the survey was conducted in 2015-16, a report based on that data was submitted to the government by the Permanent Backward Classes Commission in February 2024.</p>