Caste based census,BPL count from next month

Though the letter is silent on the issue of caste-based census,sources in the ministry said that the enumeration of caste will simultaneously be carried out along with the BPL headcount.

The issue of caste-based census had led to political controversies in past and the government has agreed to it under pressure from the Opposition.

In the urban areas,the job will be carried out by Ministry of Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation while the Rural Development Ministry will take up the task in villages.

The Centre has also suggested that the four states with largest population in the country namely Uttar Pradesh,Bihar,Maharashtra and West Bengal should take up the census in two phases while it will be carried in a single phase in rest of the states.

States have been asked to send their views on the their schedule latest by June 20 and based on their inputs some minor changes can be made in it,a senior official in the ministry said.

Tripura will be the first state from where the census will begin. Sources in the ministry said that the exercise in this north-eastern state could actually begin on June 29 itself.