Siddaramaiah sets stiff targets, asks officials to complete socio-economic survey by Oct 7

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Friday asked enumerators to complete the ongoing socio-economic and educational survey by October 7, giving them a daily target of covering 10% of 1.43 crore families. The CM ruled out extending the deadline while addressing officials in Bengaluru and districts via video conferencing, a day after the high court allowed the exercise to continue with some riders.

The survey, which began on September 22, has got off to a slow start, with officials encountering network and server issues while interacting with citizens in villages. As a result, the surveyors have been able to cover only 2.76 lakh families so far. Siddaramaiah urged officials to step up, as they have a long way to go to reach the target.

In Bengaluru, a city with about five million households, the survey began on Friday. Intensive efforts were urged in Bengaluru, as it accounts for almost one-third of the state's households. "Every single family in the state must be surveyed. We must ensure no household is left out," the CM stressed.


While Siddaramaiah, who has taken up the survey in the face of stiff opposition from dominant caste groups and upper castes, is keen to capture the real size of castes and sub-castes, the high court has placed certain conditions on the Permanent Backward Classes Commission, which is conducting the survey. The court has clearly told the Commission that its field staff must not try to persuade a citizen to participate in the survey if he or she is not willing. Participation must be entirely voluntary.

The government has drafted 1.2 lakh teachers for the work, and the CM urged them to involve themselves fully in the assigned tasks. He assured that they would receive the honorarium for their work and warned of stern disciplinary action if they skip enumeration duties.

The high court has also asked the Commission to ensure that the data gathered during the survey is kept confidential and not shared with anyone, responding to concerns from petitioners that the sole purpose of the survey was political.

The Opposition BJP hit out at the government, accusing it of sending an army of teachers into the field without preparation or training. This, the party said in a post on X, has caused problems for teachers on the ground. The party accused the CM of commissioning the survey merely for show and to safeguard his position.