Patna (Bihar): Following the release of the caste-based census in Bihar, Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav said that it is important to know the people who clean our drains, who stay in jhuggis, how much is their population and what is their economic state in society.

"It is important to know who are these people who clean our drains, who stay at Jhuggis, who are labourers, who are landless...this census has made it clear whose population is how much in the state and what is their economic state," Yadav said speaking to reporters at Patna on Monday.

Congratulating Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad and the people of Bihar. Yadav said, "From the beginning, our demand has been to have a caste-based census. But we have had a caste-based survey. The scientific data of the caste-based survey has been released today. We have always pointed out the issue of unemployment and caste-based census during our electoral campaigns."

Boasting the state government's achievement despite obstacles from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Deputy CM said, "We have done historic work in a short span of time and released the data. The BJP had tried to create many obstacles. We had placed the demand of caste-based census to the Prime Minister and agreed that if he declines we will have our own caste-based census in the state. The census was denied in the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha, but our commitment was strong and we did it."

Yadav also thanked former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Late Mulayam Singh Yadav and late Sharad Yadav for supporting the caste-based census in Bihar.

Sharing insights into the survey findings, he said, "64 per cent are backward and 20 per cent are SC STs. This data that roughly 85 per cent are from the marginalised section of society. This has come before everyone in the country. Our fight has been for social justice and economic justice, to bring to the mainstream those who are weak."

Speaking on the way ahead for the Bihar government, the Deputy CM said, "The government will make an effort to make social welfare schemes based on this scientific data. We will make special schemes for those caste groups who are poor, though poverty exists in every caste."

Pushing for a nationwide caste-based census or similar census in other states, he said, "If it has happened in Bihar, it should happen in the entire nation as well, even those ruled by the BJP under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership."

The Bihar government released caste survey data showing that the Other Backward Class (OBC) and Extremely Backward Class (EBC) together account for 63 per cent of the state’s population.