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Telangana Irrigation and Civil Supplies Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy said on Wednesday that the caste-based socio-economic survey conducted by the Congress-led state government was the "most scientific, transparent, and accurate population study since Independence."
"This was the first-ever field-based caste survey undertaken after the 2011 Census, making all figures cited by opposition parties false and fictitious," the state's minister said. The Socio-Economic, Educational, Employment, Political, and Caste (SEEEPC) survey, conducted in just 50 days, covers 96.9 per cent of households. Additionally, from passing a resolution in the Cabinet to submitting the final report, the entire process was completed within exactly one year. Various officials also participated in the Powerpoint presentation on the methodology and findings of the report by the Planning Department Principal Secretary (Planning) Sandeep Kumar Sultania, State Nodal Officer & Hyderabad Collector Anudeep Durishetty, according to a statement by Telangana Information and PR department. The minister further emphasised that the government had ensured the highest level of accuracy in data collection. Reddy, who headed the cabinet sub-committee for the caste survey, underscored that no authentic caste-based data had been compiled in the past, particularly for Backward Classes (BCs), unlike previous studies, which were incomplete or unofficial, this was the first legitimate and detailed caste survey. "The findings would help shape welfare policies by assessing the socio-economic conditions of different communities. With the minister assuring the data was reliable and free from political influence, as government staff had carried out the entire exercise," read the statement. The minister rejected claims that similar surveys had been conducted earlier, pointing out that the Intensive Household Survey (IHS) 2014 was never made public by the previous BRS government and that even the KCR government did not endorse it as official data. "Nobody can challenge us. These are the only real figures, and there is no need to be defensive. We are speaking the truth," the minister added. He claimed that there was no official data on any caste except for the 2011 Census. He said SC categorisation was even based on the 2011 Census. Reddy clarified that the Backward Classes (BC) population percentage has increased compared to previous records, highlighting that the previous BRS government had recorded the BC population at 51.09 pc, which has now risen to 56.33 pc, according to the survey. Similarly, the Scheduled Tribes (ST) population percentage increased from 9.8% to 10.45%, while the Other Castes (OCs) population percentage decreased from 21.55% to 15.79%. The minister strongly condemned the opposition leaders for falsely claiming that the BC population percentage has decreased. "When no genuine study was conducted on BC population, which figures are the opposition parties using to compare the existing numbers?" he hit out. The survey was conducted with over one lakh trained personnel deployed for data collection. The state was divided into 94,261 Enumeration Blocks (EBs), covering approximately 150 households each. The survey involved two phases: a house-listing phase (November 6-8, 2024) to identify and register households, followed by the main data collection phase (November 9-December 25, 2024). Telangana Governor was also the first respondent of the survey, marking its historic significance, the statement read. The Planning Department incorporated inputs from social scientists, policymakers, and various stakeholders, finalising a questionnaire covering 57 primary questions and 75 data fields. Real-time monitoring, daily updates, and twelve high-level review meetings ensured smooth execution. (ANI)
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