Jaipur: With Rajasthan set to begin a statewide 13-day door-to-door survey of OBC families from July 10 to determine reservation for Other Backward Classes (OBCs) for the upcoming Panchayati Raj and urban local body elections, the State Other Backward Classes (Political Representation) Commission has asked the state govt to ensure that officials deployed for the exercise are not relieved on transfer until the survey is completed.In a letter to Chief Secretary V. Srinivas, the commission said transferring nodal officers, assistant nodal officers, reference persons and enumerators during the survey period from July 10 to 23 could disrupt the exercise, delay completion of the survey and consequently postpone submission of the commission’s report on OBC political reservation.The commission noted that district collectors have already appointed survey personnel in compliance with Supreme Court directions for collecting data on the nature and extent of backwardness of OBC communities to prepare recommendations on reservation in local body elections. Training of nodal officers and assistant nodal officers was completed on July 7, while reference persons are conducting training sessions for enumerators on July 8 and 9 ahead of the online door-to-door survey.The letter pointed out that after the state govt lifted the transfer ban from June 19 to July 10, several departments issued transfer orders, including for officers and employees assigned to the survey. The commission warned that the exercise could be adversely affected if these personnel are relieved to join their new postings before the survey concludes, making it difficult to complete the survey within the stipulated timeline and delaying the submission of its report.The commission has requested the CS to direct all departments and district collectors not to relieve officials engaged in the survey until the exercise is over.The survey is a key step in determining OBC reservation before elections to Panchayati Raj institutions and urban local bodies. The commission is expected to submit its report by the second week of August.The objective of the survey is to collect factual and updated data related to the current social, educational, economic, and demographic status of OBCs in the state and their political representation in local bodies, so that the Commission may present its recommendations to the state govt on a lawful and scientific basis. The survey work will be carried out entirely in digital mode. Through the ‘Rajdhara Survey Mobile App’ developed by the commission, about 51168 enumerators will go door-to-door and collect information as per the prescribed format.
