Tamil Nadu - Salem   

“State should undertake caste-based census”

SALEM: Reiterating his party’s demand for a nationwide caste-based census, Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) founder leader S. Ramadoss has insisted that at least the Tamil Nadu government should come forward to undertake the exercise, which, he said, would ensure “fair” distribution of benefits to the needy under the reservation system.

The State, which is implementing 69 per cent reservation, should earmark Rs.50 crore for the exercise and entrust Village Administrative Officers (VAO) with the task.

“This exercise will eradicate discrepancies in the reservation system, and the Justice Janardhanan Committee also had endorsed the same,” he said addressing the media here on Saturday.

Pointing out that the exercise had been undertaken in Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka, Dr. Ramadoss claimed that unfortunately, subsequent governments did not pursued the matter.

“After the caste-based census in 1931, no Indian government has preferred to take up the job.”

He said the former Union Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss had taken up the campaign by obtaining signatures of 178 MPs and, along with leaders from other parties met the then Home Minister Shivraj Patel.

“We approached the Supreme Court on the issue. But, nothing has fructified and the governments are reluctant to go for the caste census.”

The PMK leader said just including a clause, ‘OBC/Sub Castes,’ similar to ‘Religion/SC/ST’ in enumeration forms of 2011 census will suffice to know the present status of various castes in the country.

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