Patna HC agrees to caste survey in Bihar

The caste-based survey will continue in Bihar after the Patna High Court lifted the temporary ban on Tuesday and dismissed pleas challenging the Nitish Kumar government's decision.

The Patna High Court had temporarily banned the survey on May 4 after several petitions were filed by individuals.

The Nitish Kumar government had started the survey on January 7 this year and it was scheduled to complete on May 15.

However, several petitioners went to the high court and pointed out that the survey could only be done by the Centre and the Bihar government was doing it to take "advantage" in elections.

The court had fixed the hearing on July 3 after summer vacation. After the vacation, the court opened on July 3, and the hearing of the case was held for five days in the court of Chief Justice K.V. Chandran following which the court reserved its verdict for August 1.

In the 100-page judgement, the Patna High Court has rejected all the pleas which said that caste-based survey comes under the central government's jurisdiction.

The Solicitor General of Bihar. P.K. Shahi said that it was not a caste-based census but was a caste-based survey where the state government had spent Rs 500 crore.

He also pointed out that 80 per cent of the survey has already been completed.

The Patna high court has lifted the temporary ban, and the state government will complete the remaining 20 per cent work soon.