Chennai, Aug 29:
Amid an escalating political debate over caste enumeration and the demand for internal reservation for the Vanniyar community, the ruling TVK government on Friday reiterated in the Tamil Nadu Assembly that it would conduct a caste-based enumeration after completion of the Census exercise by the Union government.
Replying to the demands for grants for the Backward and Most Backward Classes Welfare Department, Minister V Sampathkumar said the government would undertake a Social Justice Audit after the caste-based enumeration was completed.
The announcement comes against the backdrop of a heated exchange among the major political parties over caste-based data and the demand for 10.5 per cent internal reservation for Vanniyars.
The minister said the government was committed to the principle of proportionate reservation for different communities and described it as the core of its social justice policy.
He said the government followed the ideals of social reformer Periyar and sought to implement the principle of âEverything for Everyoneâ.
âProviding proportionate reservation to each community is true social justice, and this is also the basic policy of our government,â Sampathkumar said.
The minister also recalled that the Tamil Nadu government had urged the Centre to conduct caste enumeration along with the population Census.
The announcement follows an assurance reportedly given by Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay to PMK president Anbumani Ramadoss on the issue.
Meanwhile, household enumeration for the Census has commenced across Tamil Nadu. The second phase of the Census, which includes caste-based enumeration, is scheduled to be completed by March 2027.
The government’s announcement is expected to keep the politically sensitive reservation issue in focus, particularly as parties continue to demand data-based assessment of the representation and socio-economic status of individual communities.