The Andhra Pradesh Government on Wednesday began a comprehensive caste census on a pilot basis.
According to Srinivasa Venugopala Krishna, Minister for BC Welfare, Government of AP, the pillar census is being conducted in five village ward secretariats.
The State Cabinet at its meeting chaired by Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy on November 3 approved a proposal to conduct the caste census in the State.
According to Venugopala Krishna, the caste census will help provide social justice in the State along with the empowerment of the Backward Castes (BCs). There are 139 castes in the State which come under the BC category.
Based on the modalities being followed in the pilot census, the Government would draw up a state-level modus operandi for conducting the caste census and will soon roll it out across the State.
It had already sent a team of senior officials to Bihar which recently completed a similar caste census and drew up modalities for the pilot which will be revised on the basis of field level experience in the pilot.