Caste survey stickers pasted without actual survey, allege residents

The Congress government’s fresh attempt at conducting a caste survey in Karnataka has sparked concerns and complaints, with allegations emerging that survey officials are merely pasting stickers on houses without actually collecting any data.

Several residents across different parts of Bengaluru have reported that stickers reading “Survey completed for this house” are being pasted outside homes, even though no information has been collected from the occupants.

According to residents, in areas like Srinagar’s BSK First Stage, officials visited homes on Thursday and Friday but did not interact with anyone inside before marking the house as surveyed. “I had stepped out to buy vegetables and my mother was at home. No one collected any details from her. When I returned, there was already a sticker on our wall,” said a resident.

When questioned, the officials reportedly assured locals they would return later. However, when neighbours compared notes, they realised that in entire localities, including Kumaraswamy Layout, ISRO Layout in Banashankari, Padmanabhanagar constituency and Vithal Nagar, stickers were being pasted on doors without any actual data collection.

The opposition BJP had earlier strongly criticised the Congress-led caste survey, calling it unscientific and politically motivated. Now, with complaints of superficial implementation, citizens fear the process could again face controversy and questions about its credibility.

Residents have demanded that the government ensure genuine door-to-door data collection and transparency to avoid repeating past mistakes that sparked political tension and legal challenges.