Congress MLA Pradeep Yadav during question hour on Monday raised the issue of pending caste census in the State. He drew the attention of the State Government in completing the caste census in the year 2025 in the interest of Dalits, tribals, backward and majority.
He cited the decision taken by the Hemant Cabinet on 17 February 2024, where it was decided that the government will conduct a caste census in Jharkhand. For this, the Department of Personnel Administrative Reforms and Official Language has been made the nodal agency. But despite more than one year, the caste census has not been done. Whereas in Telangana, which took the decision much later than Jharkhand, the caste census has been completed. The report has also been released there.
In response to the query raised by Yadav, Minister-in-charge Deepak Birua said that it is the responsibility of the Centre to conduct the census, as it is a subject of the central list. Therefore, it would be appropriate to call it a caste survey here. He said that the state government wants to conduct the caste survey. Therefore, the proposal was passed in the cabinet. After this, the Jharkhand Executive Rules were amended on 19 July 2024. The Personnel Department has issued an order in this regard on 4 March 2025. It has to be seen how much it will cost to conduct the caste survey. How many people will be needed? At what level this work has to be done. Therefore, the whole matter is under process. The Minister in charge said that the state government wants to conduct the caste survey.
In this answer, Pradeep Yadav said that the Telangana government had engaged 80 thousand teachers of the state for the caste survey. 10 thousand supervisors were engaged in this work. This work was the responsibility of the Planning Department. At the same time, the survey work was completed within 25 days. There were 75 questions in the form. There was also a column of religion. There is talk of Sarna code in Jharkhand. A column related to this can be inserted here too. The government should tell what has happened in this direction so far. Which agency will the government conduct the survey?
The Minister in charge said that the government is serious about this. The whole matter is under process. Talks have also been held with one or two agencies. The government will see how the survey was done in Telangana and Bihar. More focus will be given in this direction in the coming financial year. On this, Congress MLA Rajesh Kachhap said that this government is not only in the interest of the state but also in the interest of the country. States that took a decision after Jharkhand have completed this work. While conducting a survey in Jharkhand, it should be kept in mind that this work should not be done during the time of Dhankatni or farming.
Meanwhile, in another development minister Sudivya Kumar Sonu said that after completing the process of triple test in Jharkhand, elections will be held in 48 municipal bodies along with OBC reservation. Minister Sudivya Kumar Sonu has said this in response to Saryu Rai's short notice question in the assembly on March 24.
