Will receive caste census report, says K'taka CM Siddaramaiah

Bangalore, Oct 29

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah stated on Sunday that the Congress government will receive the caste census report.

"Our government was the first to conduct a caste census in the entire country. I had got the caste census with the objective of knowing the social and economic status of each caste.

The following governments did not accept the census report. Jayaprakash Hegde, chairman of the Commission for Backward Classes, will present the report on the caste census. We will receive it," he said.

Earlier, speaking at the Prerana Samarabha organised by Kalidasa Health and Education Trust and Ahilya Foundation, Siddaramaiah said that talent is not confined to caste and religion.

"If opportunity and advantages of education is given to everyone, talent will come out for sure. Therefore, education is very important to live as good citizens with self-respect." He also appealed that everyone should be educated.

"We have to work hard for the society that has helped us. No one can achieve anything without hard work and goals," he said.

The CM said that before the arrival of the British, education was prohibited for the Shudra communities. "Girls of upper castes were not given education before. Ambedkar gave right to education to Shudra community and girls. This history should be understood properly," he said.

The CM opined that it is unscientific to establish a medical college by the community. Since running a medical college is expensive, it cannot offer free seats to poor and rural students. Therefore the CM said that if the community establishes paramedical colleges, hostels and ITIs, it will help the poor and rural children.

The CM recalled that during his B.Sc days, he would get curry from the hotel, cook rice in the room for dinner. Since there are thousands of students in such a condition, he started Vidyasiri programme.

Earlier, number of doctors were less, and the posts were high in number in rural areas. But now the situation has changed, the number of doctors are more than the number of vacant posts. Therefore, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah clarified that the government has decided to amend the rules to fill up the vacant posts of rural doctors.

Urban Development Minister Bairathi Suresh, Chief Minister's Political Secretary Govindaraju, former corporator B.N Nitish Purushottam and many dignitaries were present.