Bihar government moves SC against Patna HC order staying ongoing caste survey in state

The Bihar government has challenged the Patna High Court's order in the Supreme Court suspending the ongoing caste census in the state, saying it has already completed more than 80 percent of the survey work in some districts. If the exercise were stopped, there would be huge losses.

The Bihar government, in its appeal to the apex court, said the Patna High Court's stay will adversely affect the entire exercise, reports said.

The Patna High Court on May 4, hearing a number of objections related to the ongoing caste survey, stayed the state government's exercise with immediate effect and directed the state government to ensure that the data already collected in the process is secured and not shared. with anyone until he issues final orders in the matter.

The High Court fixed July 3 for further hearing in the matter.

The High Court passed an order following the directions of the Supreme Court, which asked the petitioner Youth for Equality to file a relevant application before the court where the suit related to the caste survey was pending for preliminary injunction. It also directed the high court to dispose of the application as soon as possible, preferably within three days.

Youth for Equality is an organization that works against caste-based policies and reservations. They appealed the apex court saying that the matter of the ongoing caste survey in the state is unlikely to be finally heard, decided and heard by the High Court on May 4 or in the near future. If his plea is not heard first, his motion may become moot.

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who has long been in favor of caste survey, got resolutions from the Bihar Legislative Assembly and Bihar Legislative Council for a caste survey in the state in 2019 and 2020 respectively. The caste survey was launched by the state government in January this year and the exercise was supposed to be completed by this ongoing month.