Karnataka officials paste 'survey completed' stickers on houses—without meeting residents

Karnataka officials paste 'survey completed' stickers on houses—without meeting residents

The Scheduled Caste (SC) household survey in Karnataka has been marred by controversy after CCTV footage from Bengaluru showed enumerators pasting completion stickers without interacting with residents, even pasting them on houses that are vacant.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) slammed the survey as "bogus" and questioned its credibility.

BJP spokesperson Ashok Gowda alleged that stickers were being pasted indiscriminately on houses not belonging to SC families, including Brahmin and Vokkaliga homes.

Residents can register online, says Siddaramaiah

In the face of criticism, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah defended the survey.

He said residents can also register online if they miss or find fault with door-to-door enumeration.

"If that's the case, enroll online. Is there any problem in enrolling online? You can enroll online or when they come home," he said.

The controversy comes as Karnataka prepares for a detailed caste census on Congress High Command's orders.

Residents said they were shocked

Several residents said they were shocked to see stickers pasted on their doors, with no interaction or inquiries.

Several CCTV images and YouTube videos show stickers being put on residential gates, despite locals complaining that no survey was undertaken.

One X user, sharing a picture of a sticker outside an establishment, also claimed that the BBMP officials even surveyed commercial complexes such as beauty parlors, gyms, and chess coaching center.

BBMP admits gaps in execution

BBMP's special commissioner (welfare), Suralkar Vikas Kishore, admitted to gaps in execution. He said enumerators have done a poor job and promised stringent action.

Despite the criticism, BBMP claims it has identified over 6.7 lakh SC individuals after covering more than 1.8 lakh SC households and 32 lakh general households.

Citizens who missed door-to-door rounds can complete the survey online by scanning QR codes on stickers or visiting ward offices and Bengaluru One Centers.

Survey for internal reservation policy

The survey, launched by the Karnataka government on May 5, aims to collect data on SC sub-castes for internal reservation policy.

Siddaramaiah had called it essential for ensuring social justice and equitable distribution of benefits.

The move follows a Supreme Court ruling issued on August 1, 2024, that allows states to introduce internal quotas for SCs based on empirical evidence.