HYDERABAD: The Andhra Pradesh Commission for Backward Classes has written to the State Government seeking its approval for undertaking the biggest ever socio-educational-economic survey of the State's population at an estimated cost of Rs. 50 crore.

The cost estimate has been prepared by the Bureau of Economics and Stastistics (BES) following the Government's insistence on preparing a project report before commissioning the actual survey.

Nod awaited

Commission Chairman D. Subrahmanyam said in an interview on Tuesday that as soon as the Government gives its permission, prestigious institutions like the Kolkata-based Indian Stastistical Institution could be approached to conduct the survey. He said the census/survey would go a long way in removing legal hurdles coming in the way of reservations as it would provide reliable and scientific data.

Justice Subrahmanyam, who is the second chairman of the Commission after Justice Puttuswamy, emphasised the urgency of the task since Sec. 11 of the Andhra Pradesh Backward Classes Act stipulated a revision of the BCs list once in 10 years. "It is due in 2011 and we need clear data to know the castes that have advanced and those that have not."

Applications pending

He said that at present 94 castes were recognised as BCs after the recent addition of `Patra'.

As of now, applications seeking inclusion of 112 more castes were pending with the commission. Any recommendation for exclusion of the advanced castes or inclusion of new ones could be made only by having proper data, he said.

In its absence, every backward caste was suffering, he said, adding that no State had conducted a comprehensive survey.

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