New Delhi, Aug 12 (IANS) Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee Thursday said the cabinet would soon take a decision on when and how to conduct the caste-based census, after opposition members created an uproar in the Lok Sabha over the issue.
‘How and when this should be done is under consideration. The decision on the mechanism will have to be taken formally. The decision will be taken by the cabinet. When the cabinet meets and takes a decision, we will inform you,’ Mukherjee told the house.
His statement followed uproar in the house over reports that caste enumeration was being planned to be done at the biometric phase of Census 2011.
The finance minister heads the group of ministers on caste enumeration.
Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Mulayam Singh Yadav and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad raised the issue in the Lok Sabha as members assembled for the Question Hour at 11 a.m.
The Question Hour was disrupted and the house adjourned till noon by Speaker Meira Kumar.
