The State government is considering a proposal to enact a legislation aimed at preventing abuse of backward classes, Social Welfare Minister H Anjaneya has said.
The Minister, who held a meeting with writers, intellectuals and progressive thinkers to discuss preparations for the proposed caste census, told presspersons on Monday that the proposal had been forwarded to the Law Department. “We are keen on it and we will take a call based on the department’s opinion,” he said.
The Minister said the dates for the ‘caste census’, to be carried out in December, would be finalised after a meeting with the Chief Minister. The findings will be available within two months after the exercise was conducted, he said.
Suggestions given by the writers and intellectuals on holding the caste census, for the first time after 1931, would be incorporated. He said they had promised to work closely with the government on creating awareness among people about the significance of the State-wide caste census.
A total of 1.25 lakh government employees drawn from various departments, retired teachers, ASHA workers and anganwadi teachers would be enrolled as enumerators for the exercise, for which Rs. 117 crore had been allocated. A meeting with heads of all religious communities would be held on December 4 to elicit their opinions, he added.
