Mega Survey in jeopardy

• Centre questions TS govt on its legality

Hyderabad: The Union Home Ministry has sought a detailed report on the proposed comprehensive survey to be taken up by Telangana state government. It is learnt that union Home Secretary Anil Goswami had written to the Telangana government asking it to send a detailed report on the purpose of the survey and why it was seeking certain details like bank account numbers and caste details and the legality of the proposed survey. This letter is said to have been sent by the Union Home Ministry following a complaint by TDP MPs led by Sujana Chowdary. The TDP delegation met Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh and told him that seeking information like bank account number and caste details was outside the purview of the State government. Following this, Rajnath Singh is learnt to have asked the officials to get a copy of the questionnaire and also go into its legality. The Telangana government is making arrangements for successful conduct of the comprehensive survey of over 80 lakh households across the State on August 19.

Meanwhile, Justice Vilas Afzalpurkar of the High Court on Wednesday adjourned the writ petition challenging the GO on the State-wide survey to Thursday. It was contended that the government’s action was in violation of the fundamental rights under Articles 19 and 21. It was also contended that the survey had fallen under List I of the VII schedule which gave such exclusive power to the central government.