Andhra Pradesh wants Centre to take up BC census

Amaravati: After a detailed discussion on the injustice done to the BCs, the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly on Tuesday passed a resolution demanding that census of Backward Classes be taken up. It is all set to send its recommendation to the Centre now.

The resolution was introduced by Backward Classes Welfare Minister Chelluboyina Venu Gopala Krishna and the House unanimously adopted it. Speaking in this regard, the Minister emphasised the need to go for a census of the BCs which would pave the way for extending welfare measures to those deprived sections.

Speaking on the subject, Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy recalled the last census that was held in the country in 1931. "There are no statistics available of the BCs afresh. All that we have is 90 years old. Since then, governments just have been working on averages and guesstimates. BCs constitute 52 percent of the population in the country. We have to have precise figures to tackle backwardness in the State. It is unfortunate that we did not go for BCs enumeration since adopting the Constitution itself," he said.

The Chief Minister then went on to read out the welfare measures launched for the people and how many of them were meant for the BCs in detail. Later the House passed the resolution.

With the resolution it could be stated that AP too has joined the bandwagon of States supporting the need for conducting BC census. A few States like Tamil Nadu, Telangana and Bihar have already joined the chorus.

BC Welfare Minister Venu Gopala Krishna had been authorised by the State Cabinet to table the resolution urging the Union Government to take up the caste Census.

However, it is not the first time that the AP Assembly has adopted such a resolution. In the past, the TDP too adopted a similar resolution.

Several BC leaders have been mounting pressure on the governments to favour such a census since long. There is not much resistance to the move too in AP.

The reason the BCs argue for such a census is that implementation of Articles 15 (4) and 16 (4) of the Constitution dealing with reservations for BCs in educational institutions and government services would not be possible without proper statistical support.

The Chief Minister further stated that the Backward Classes were the 'backbone" of the country and his government was putting in full efforts to empower them economically and politically.