State cabinet concludes meeting on Socio-Economic Survey; CM Siddaramaiah asks Ministers to submit concerns in writing

BENGALURU: The special cabinet meeting on the Socio-Economic Survey concluded on Thursday, and Chief Minister Siddaramaiah asked ministers to submit their concerns in writing.

The Karnataka government is likely to convene another round of cabinet discussions on the issue. Meanwhile, the CM left the Vidhan Soudha after attending the meeting on the Karnataka Caste Survey report.

Reacting to the Karnataka Caste Survey report, State Minister Priyank Kharge said, “The report is voluminous, it will take time.”

Karnataka Minister N Chaluvaraya Swamy stated that no decision was taken in the cabinet meeting.

“No decision has been taken yet, the subject has been deferred, and the cabinet meeting is over today. It will be discussed once again in the next meeting (Cabinet), there is no question of rejecting or accepting, it’s all about discussing in the next cabinet meeting about the survey. CM and DCM, along with 32, including all Ministers, discussed thoroughly. Some other opinions of the ministers have to be discussed, as many wished to speak on the issue; that’s why the subject has been deferred for the next cabinet meeting,” the Minister said.

Karnataka Minister KH Muniyappa said, “The discussion is on and another one or two meetings may take place over it.”

After the cabinet meeting, Karnataka Minister Santosh Lad said that the caste census issue is larger and will be taken up again next week.

“It is a larger issue. It still takes a lot of discussion to happen in this, which will happen by next week,” Lad said.

The caste survey has been officially titled the “Socio-Economic and Educational Survey,” and a special cabinet meeting was called today to discuss it.
On Wednesday, Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara said that the Backward Class Commission has already submitted its report to the cabinet, and Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has advised the ministers to study it and come back with suggestions in the next meeting.

The Karnataka State Commission for Backward Classes has submitted the caste census (socio, economic, and educational survey) report to the Siddaramaiah-led cabinet. If released, the caste census report will be the second by a Congress-ruled state after Telangana. (ANI)