Social and Educational survey: Over 1.82 lakh households in Karnataka covered in four days

The State-wide Social and Educational survey being undertaken by the Karnataka State Commission for Backward Classes entered its fourth day on Thursday, with mixed progress across districts. 

While the survey picked up pace on Thursday with enumerators visiting over 53,908 households till 4 p.m., technical glitches and public hesitation continued to hamper the survey. 

Overall enumerators managed to cover 1,82,734 households accounting for over 7 lakh individuals since the exercise began on September 22, officials said.

More than 84,000 households, accounting for over 3.1 lakh individuals, were surveyed by the end of day three on Wednesday. 

However, coverage has been uneven, with centres such as Bengaluru Urban, Bengaluru Rural, and Bengaluru South registering slower progress owing to training delays and network problems.

While enumerators in Belagavi and Kalaburagi covered the highest number of households at 15,987 and 15,649 respectively, officials said the least number of households were covered in Bengaluru Urban and Udupi at 477 and 649, respectively.

Poor connectivity disrupted the functioning of the mobile application, forcing enumerators to make repeated attempts to upload data in a few districts. The ₹420-crore survey is aimed at covering nearly two crore households within a 15-day window.

Congress meeting

Meanwhile, a meeting of Congress Ministers, legislators, and leaders from Backward Classes on Thursday resolved to support the ongoing survey and to stand firmly with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.

Minor Irrigation and Science and Technology Minister N.S. Boseraju said the backward communities must actively participate to ensure the survey’s success, as it is essential to secure economic, political, and educational benefits.

Former Chief Minister M. Veerappa Moily termed the gathering “historic,” noting that similar opposition was seen during the Kelkar and Mandal Commission exercises, but the Congress ensured their implementation.

“Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is committed to uplifting marginalised groups,” he said.

Congress MLC B.K. Hariprasad added that the exercise was part of the party’s manifesto and crucial to assess the socio-economic condition of 197 backward communities.

Ministers and leaders also decided to tour districts to build awareness and mobilise support.