Amidst lack of enumerators, language barrier and knowledge of data collection, the socio-economic survey in Karnataka conducted by the Backward Classes Department has covered 70 to 75 per cent of households in urban areas.

Addressing reporters, Minister for Social Welfare H Anjaneya claimed that 90.07 per cent (1.27 crore) households had been covered in the State as on April 29 as against total household of 1.41 crore households.

In order to complete the survey for preparing a comprehensive data of communities, the Government has extended survey work by five days in Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) limits and for three days in the rest of the State.

The department had scheduled April 30 as the last day survey work to be completed. “Owing to poor coverage of households, particularly in Bengaluru, the census work has been extended till May 5 in BBMP limits and May 3 in rest of the districts,” said Anjaneya. The census commenced on April 11 and coverage of families in BBMP limits was 62.62 per cent, lowest in the State. The districts of Mandya, Ramanagara, Koppal, Hassan, Chikkaballapur, and Bengaluru rural have achieved 100 per cent data collection, while Shivammoga, Belgaum and Bellari have achieved 98 to 99 per cent.

Coverage

The percentage coverage of households was 88.99 and 97.91 in Haveri and Dakshina Kannada, respectively. The coverage of families was more than 90 per cent in rest of the districts.

Chairman of the Karnataka State Backward Class Commission, H Kantaraju, who is overseeing the survey, is confident of submitting the report within four months, despite few days’ delay.

“We have made sure that the final report of the socio-economic survey will cover all sections of society in the State,” he added.

Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) which is part of survey to tabulate the data collected has established 184 data centres (one each in taluk and eight in BBMP) and so far has hired services of 5,000 personnel for feeding data in computers.

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