KHAMMAM: Telangana Deputy Chief Minister Bhatti Vikramarka has described the Centre’s announcement to conduct a nationwide caste census as a historic win for Telangana’s people’s government, attributing it to the sustained efforts of the Congress party and the success of the state’s own caste survey.
Speaking at a felicitation event at Praja Bhavan camp office in Khammam on Saturday, Bhatti was honoured with shawls and tributes by leaders of BC employees’ associations and caste-based organisations. The event was organised to acknowledge his determined leadership and meticulous execution of Telangana’s caste survey, which is now being hailed as a national model.
Vikramarka asserted that Telangana is the only state to have conducted a comprehensive caste census since India’s independence without facing public objections. He emphasised that the exercise went beyond recording caste identities—it also collected data on economic conditions, political representation, employment access, and distribution of natural resources.
He explained that under Section 94(3) of the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, it is the Centre’s legal responsibility to develop Andhra Pradesh’s new capital, Amaravati. Yet, it has failed to do so. In contrast, the Telangana government, under Chief Minister Revanth Reddy and with Vikramarka overseeing the Planning Department, completed the caste survey in just 50–55 days.
The survey was methodically conducted, with 150 households forming a block, each assigned to an enumerator. Supervisors, mandal and district coordinators, and district collectors oversaw the process. The state government later passed a Bill in the Assembly recommending 42% reservation for Backward Classes in local bodies and government employment, based on the survey findings.
Bhatti noted that this resolution was sent to the Centre, along with a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi urging the implementation of a similar national caste survey. He credited AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge, UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, and Lok Sabha Opposition Leader Rahul Gandhi for supporting the cause nationally. He highlighted that the Congress Working Committee passed a resolution in Gujarat demanding a nationwide caste census, inspired by Telangana’s model.
He urged that the findings of the caste survey be shared widely with the public and called upon BC communities to stand firmly with the people’s government, which had ensured 42% reservations as a direct outcome of the census.
BC association leaders, including SGF state president Devarakonda Saidulu and others representing communities such as Gouds, Yadavs, Nai Brahmins, Rajakas, Padmashalis, Vishwakarmas, Salivahanas, and Kapus, praised Vikramarka’s resolve and scientific approach, calling the survey a crucial step toward ending generations of social injustice.
Caste Census Announcement by Central Government is a Victory for the People and Government of Telangana
The Central Government’s recent announcement to conduct a nationwide caste census is a monumental victory for the people and government of Telangana. This decision is a direct…
— Bhatti Vikramarka Mallu (@Bhatti_Mallu) May 3, 2025
