By The Hindu Bureau

Copyright thehindu

It will be at least a week before the Social and Educational Survey begins in Bengaluru’s civic limits, sources said.

While the survey began in other parts of the State on Monday and is scheduled to be completed by October 7, the exercise will not likely follow this schedule in Greater Bengaluru Area (GBA).

“Teachers are conducting the survey in other districts. But there are not enough government school teachers to carry out the survey in Bengaluru, with an estimated population of 1.4 crore. So we have roped in a total of 26,000 personnel from multiple departments and their training is ongoing and will take time,” a senior official said.

Sources said that meter readers from Bangalore Electricity Supply Company (Bescom), Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB), and from several other departments have been roped in and are being trained now.

“While teachers have the experience of carrying out such surveys, including decadal census earlier, other officials do not have any such experience. We are not in a hurry. Since we are not dependent on teachers, we are also not confined by the Dasara holiday window,” an official said.

The Karnataka State Commission for Backward Classes is working towards a December deadline to conclude the survey and submit its report, giving ample time for the survey to be conducted in the GBA area, sources said.

The coverage in Bengaluru during the previous survey in 2015 (around 85%) and the recent Scheduled Castes Survey earlier this year (around 54% ) has been underwhelming, despite several extensions. In this light, the administration is taking several measures to ensure better coverage in Bengaluru this time and roping in adequate personnel and training them is key, sources said.