‘Govt conducting survey to provide justice to everyone’: DK Shivakumar on caste survey

BENGALURU: Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on Tuesday asserted that the government was conducting a socio-economic and educational survey to provide justice to everyone after the state government had declared a 10-day holiday from October 8 to October 18 for government and aided schools, enabling teachers from these schools to participate in the survey.

Karnataka’s socio-economic and educational survey started on September 22 and is scheduled to conclude on October 7. The survey aims to enumerate around 7 crore people in the state, and get to know about their social and economic status in society.

Addressing a press conference on the progress of the Social and Educational Survey at Vidhana Soudha, he said, “The Karnataka State Primary School Teachers’ Association had appealed to the government to declare a holiday so that the teachers can participate in the survey as enumerators. In this backdrop, the state government has declared a holiday for 10 days.”

“We held a meeting under the leadership of the Chief Minister to review the progress of the Social and Educational survey. As much as 90 per cent of the people have cooperated for the survey in rural areas and the government would like to thank them. We started the survey in the Greater Bengaluru area a little later due to the training of the Election Commission work. Twenty-five per cent of the survey was completed in Bengaluru. We held a meeting with the Commissioners of all five corporations and officials of the Education department,” he explained.

“The government is conducting this survey to provide justice to everyone. I urge Bangaloreans to cooperate with the enumerators. People can also complete the survey online. The government will not pressure anyone to participate in the survey; people can provide the information they are comfortable with,” he added.

“Some of the questions have been included to understand the lifestyle of the people in rural areas. I appeal to the people to cooperate and provide the necessary information. Karnataka Primary School Teachers’ Association President Puttanna met the CM and me and submitted an appeal. They have requested for time to participate in the survey. The holiday doesn’t apply to private schools and pre-university colleges,” he said.

Earlier in the day, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah announced holidays for government schools in the State from October 8 to October 18, enabling teachers involved in the ongoing social and educational survey to complete their work.

The survey was originally scheduled to end today. However, the Chief Minister said that in some districts, the survey work is still incomplete.

“From September 22, we began a statewide survey to understand the social, educational, and economic conditions of the people. Today marks the final day of the survey as per the original schedule. However, in some districts, the survey work is still incomplete. In Koppal, 97pc of the work is done,” Siddaramaiah said in a press conference. (ANI)