The Socio-economic and Educational Survey carried out by the Karnataka State Commission for Backward Classes has been hampered by an alleged lack of cooperation in Bengaluru Urban district limits. Sources in the Commission said that many Bengaluru residents have refused to be enumerated, as witnessed during the previous Survey carried out a decade ago. According to data from the Commission, while Survey progress in the 30 districts of the state was 90.04 per cent, only 29 per cent of households in Bengaluru have been enumerated till date. Last week, on October 7, the government extended the last date of the Survey till October 18 by granting leave to government and aided schools so that teachers can participate in the enumeration exercise. A senior official in the Commission told indianexpress.com that while enumeration in districts is likely to be above 95 per cent, it is projected to be below the state average in Bengaluru Urban. “Our enumerators are facing a lot of problems on the ground in Bengaluru Urban. They are forced to convince several people to participate in the exercise, while others are outright rejecting participation in the Survey,” the official said. Asked whether such an attitude towards the Survey was restricted to particular localities in Bengaluru, the official said that it was being seen across the city. “We are requesting them (residents) to submit details at least in online mode if they are uncomfortable giving out the details to the enumerators,” the officer added. Further asked if the Survey boycott calls given by some elected representatives have had an effect, the official refused to comment on the same, but said, “This is not new for the city. May it be elections or even the Survey carried out a decade ago, participation in Bengaluru has always been low.” As of Monday noon, of the 1.48 crore households targeted by the Commission for the Survey in districts outside Bengaluru, 1.33 crore were surveyed, covering a population of 4.91 crore. In Bengaluru, against a target of 44.87 lakh households, the Survey was completed in 12.92 lakh houses, covering a population of 40.32 lakh. The enumeration exercise, which is being carried out at a cost of Rs 420 crore, started on September 22 and was scheduled to last till October 7. However, the Survey was hit with technical glitches and protests by teachers in some districts during the first few days, after which it picked up pace. The exercise began late in Bengaluru, starting in the first week of October.
