Three officers in Bengaluru suspended for negligence in duty during caste census

Bengaluru: After drawing flak from the public for its botched caste survey in the city, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) on Thursday sacked three revenue inspectors on charges of dereliction of duty.

The action was taken based on evidence that enumerators working under them had affixed stickers without first speaking to the occupants of buildings in areas such as HRBR Layout and Kengeri.

In two separate orders, the commissioners of the East and RR Nagar zones suspended Ramesh, Peddaraju, and C Senthil Kumar for not following the guidelines prescribed for conducting the caste census.

As per the instructions, enumerators were expected to visit every household in Bengaluru and speak to the occupants before fixing stickers on the houses as a mark that the house had been covered.

However, they were seen pasting stickers on gates and doors without speaking to the owners to ascertain their caste, which is a key component of the survey. This was captured on CCTV footage that later went viral.

Many residents also complained that the enumerators were doing a substandard job and questioned what the outcome of the survey would be.