K'taka to hold survey on SCs,STs, OBCs, Minorities: Minister

Bangalore, Oct 17(UNI) The Karnataka Government would conduct a survey on caste and religion basis utilising the fund released by the Centre to know the socio-economic status of both Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribes, Other Backward Classes and Minorities.

Speaking to mediaperson, State Social Welfare Minister D Sudhakar said the Finance Department had released Rs 20 crore for holding survey on OBC's while the Union Government released Rs ten crore to Karnataka SC/ST Commission to enumerate the SC and ST population.

The data generated through the survey would come in handy for the State Government to decide on providing internal reservation to OBC, Minorities and SC/STs.

The Minister said the survey would be done by the State Government itself.

He also informed the State Government had opened additional 49 Morarji Desai Residential Schools for the benefit of OBC students, this year, taking the total number of such schools to 340.

The government was also planning to constitute an autonomous body to govern the functioning of those Schools.

The State Government owed Rs 71 crore to private educational institutions towards fee reimbursement and all steps would be taken to clear the arrears before March next year.

Replying to questions, he said the Karantaka Lokayukta, which went into allegations of misappropriation of funds by Senior IAS Officer B Shivaram, when he was the Commissioner in Social Welfare Department, had given instructions to frame charges against the accused.

''The Department of Personnel and Administrative Reforms (DPAR) is looking into the matter,'' he said.

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