Over a decade after the Socio-Economic and Educational report, popularly known as the caste census, was commissioned, its report is coming up for discussion in the state cabinet on October 18. It is unclear if Chief Minister Siddaramaiah will bite the bullet. If he does, it could open another front for the government battling multiple fronts.
Timing has created a buzz in political circles. The CM is accused of bringing it up now to tide over the current crises by strengthening his position within the party. State and central agencies are probing the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) sites allotment case and the multi-crore scam in the Karnataka Maharshi Valmiki Scheduled Tribes Development Corporation. Top echelons in the government are said to be concerned about the Enforcement Directorate probe in both cases, more so in the ST Development Corporation funds transfer scam. The Finance portfolio is with the CM.
Amid the crisis, the CM and his team are said to be working on a political strategy to unveil the caste census report. Perhaps, that was the reason for deciding to take it up on October 18 and not during the last cabinet meeting on October 10.
The Rs 160 crore exercise was commissioned during his first tenure as CM from 2013 to 2018. On several occasions, Siddaramaiah blamed the governments that came to power after 2018 for failing to accept the report from the Karnataka State Permanent Backward Classes Commission. H Kantharaju was the commission chairman when the study was commissioned. The report was submitted in February this year by then chairman Jayaprakash Hegde who later unsuccessfully contested the 2024 Lok Sabha polls as Congress candidate.
