Andhra Pradesh Cabinet Gives Nod To Caste-Based Census; Exercise Likely To Start After 20 November

The Andhra Pradesh cabinet, presided over by Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy, on Friday (3 November) cleared a proposal to conduct a comprehensive caste-based census in the state.

During the Cabinet meeting held at the Secretariat on Friday, CM Reddy emphasised the importance of a caste-based census in improving the lives of marginalised communities and enhancing their social empowerment.

The Andhra cabinet decision to carry out the exercise comes a month after the Bihar government released its caste survey data.

The government plans to conduct a census to gather information on socio-economic factors, education-based employment, and population disparities.

According to Jagan, this census will help identify individuals who are currently not benefiting from welfare schemes, allowing for their inclusion in such programmes.

The data would be useful in poverty alleviation schemes, bringing down the disparities, and human resources development, he said.

The state government will take up the exercise after 20 November and complete it by the end of December, The New Indian Express reported.

Apart from the Caste-based census, the state cabinet also agreed to the proposal of establishing an 800 MW wind energy plant and allotting another 100 acres of land to establish the National Law University in the Kurnool district.

The cabinet also approved the allotment of lands for the construction of government offices in several districts and the allotment of industrial lands below 50 acres made by APIIC.