Senior Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) Chhagan Bhujbal has approached the CM Eknath Shinde and Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis demanding an OBC census in the state, on the lines of Bihar. The state of Bihar recently started conducting caste-wise census. On this line former deputy CM of the state demanded a separate census should be conducted for other Backward classes in Maharashtra like Bihar.
In a letter given by Chhagan Bhujbal to CM Eknath Shinde and deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis, a sperate caste-wise census has been started in Bihar recently. Tamil Nadu, Chhattisgarh and many other states have also conducted OBC Census and they have used it for the development of the state. Our demand for caste-wise census is pending for the last several days in Maharashtra as well. The subject of census is related to the central government. However, the central government has expressed its inability to conduct a separate census of OBC. Therefore the state government has said that a separate census of OBCs should be conducted like a Bihar government.
Caste-wise census of SC/ST tribes in the country has been taking place for the last one and a half hundred years. Based on that information, development plans, welfare programs and financial provision are made for this class. This third backward class came into existence in the country as per the recommendations made by the Mandal Commission in 1980 for the backward class of citizen that is OBC, Freed castes, Nomadic Tribes and Bimapra. But while providing constitutional protection to it, the reason of not knowing the population comes forward as there is no census every time. The first thing the British did when they conquered India was to start a caste-wise census every 10 years. He felt that a census was necessary to study who was to be ruled. This work was done regularly for sixty years from 1871 t0 1931. This work was disrupted in 1941 World War.