Bhubaneswar (Odisha) [India], May 15 (ANI): Odisha Congress president Bhakta Charan Das demanded the implementation of caste census in the state and met with the governor on Wednesday.

He asserted that the previous and present state governments have continuously neglected the issue and also demanded 27 per cent reservation in the education sector.

'Today we met the Governor and placed our demand that the caste census should immediately begin in Odisha. There has been a lot of negligence by the state government, both current and previous... We demand 27% reservation even in education', Bhakta Charan Das told ANI.

Meanwhile, last month, the Union Government gave its nod to the caste enumeration and had informed that it will be a part of the forthcoming census. The decision was taken during the Union Cabinet meeting, which took place on April 30.

Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, while briefing the media after the cabinet meeting, had said that some states have done caste surveys and conducting a census is in the domain of the central government.

'Caste was not included in all the census operations conducted since independence. In 2010, the then Prime Minister Manmohan Singhji had assured the Lok Sabha that the matter of caste census would be considered in the cabinet. A group of ministers was formed to consider this subject. Most political parties recommended a caste census. Despite this, the Congress government decided to conduct only a survey of caste instead of a census. That survey is known as SECC,' Vaishnaw said.

'It is well understood that Congress and its INDI alliance partners have only used the caste census as a political tool. As per Article 246 of the Constitution of India, the subject census is listed at 69 in the Union list in the 7th schedule. According to the Constitution of India, census is a Union subject. Some states have conducted surveys to enumerate caste. Some states have done this well, while some others have conducted such surveys purely from a political angle in a non-transparent way. Considering all these facts and to ensure that a social fabric is not disturbed by politics, caste enumeration should be transparently included in the census instead of surveys,' he added.

Congress MP and Leader of Opposition (Lok Sabha) Rahul Gandhi had also backed the caste census decision taken by the Union Government, but urged to inform about the timeline of the caste census. (ANI)