"If centre is reluctant to caste census...": Nitish Kumar hints at state-level plan

Patna: Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Monday said the state government would ponder on carrying out exercise from its own resources to assess caste wise population in Bihar if Centre appeared reluctant on the issue but it would have been better, had the Centre got it done at national level.

Mr Kumar, after Janata Darbar organised in premises of CM secretariat, told media persons here that he had written a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi requesting him to give appointment for an all party delegation from Bihar to discuss on the issue of caste census for reconsideration of the decision taken by the Centre of not conducting caste census.

The letter written by him had reached Prime Minister Office (PMO) on August 4 but its reply was still awaited, he added.

Chief Minister, when asked about his next move if Centre remained reluctant on the issue and no reply came from Prime Minister, said that he would discuss on ways how to go for assessing caste wise population in Bihar.

It would be in fact exercise of caste wise counting to get figure as Census could be conducted only by the Centre, he added.

Mr Kumar said that a delegation of opposition parties had called on him with request to seek appointment with Prime Minister. On their request, he had written a letter to PM but a delegation of JD(U) MPs had already placed before Union Home Minister Amit Shah, all the issues relating to caste census.

They had sought appointment from Prime Minister but PMO advised them to meet Union Home minister, he added. (UNI)