Bengaluru: Moving a step ahead on the Socio-Economic-Educational Survey, also  known as Caste Census, years after it was presented to the Government, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Monday announced that the Report will be placed in the Cabinet meeting on Oct.18.

Speaking to mediapersons after meeting Ministers and Legislators from Other Backward Communities (OBC), Siddaramaiah said “The Caste Census Report will be placed before the State Cabinet during its meeting on Oct.18. We will abide by whatever the Cabinet decides.”

Pointing out that this was not just a Caste Census of Backward Classes but that of 7 crore Kannadigas, he said that the Report has been accepted though he has not read it yet.

Stating that he had commissioned such a census for the first time in India during his earlier stint as the CM (2013-2018), Siddaramaiah said the census was conducted through the then Backward Classes Commission led by H. Kantharaj. The Commission Chairman had informed him that census has been conducted door-to-door, he added.

On questions raised by the Opposition on why the Report was not implemented during his earlier stint, Siddaramaiah said the Report had not been submitted at that time.

A ploy to divert public attention: HDK

Even as CM Siddaramaiah announced that the Caste Census Report will be placed before the State Cabinet, Union Minister and JD(S) leader H.D. Kumaraswamy (HDK) said that it was a ploy of the State Congress Government to divert public attention from its scams.

Speaking to presspersons here yesterday, HDK alleged that the Congress had made such attempts to divert public attention from scams earlier too and it has resorted to its same old tactics in covering up its scams now.

Wondering why the Government was silent all these years on the Report, he maintained that it will not benefit any caste. Though the Report was accepted even before LS polls, why no decision was taken then, he questioned the CM.