BMC Undertakes Maratha Community and Open Category Survey in Mumbai, Seeks Citizen Cooperation

Mumbai, 25th January 2024: The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has initiated a comprehensive survey, conducted by the Maharashtra State Backward Classes Commission, to assess the social, educational, and economic backwardness of the Maratha community and open castes. A team of 30 thousand BMC employees has been appointed for this survey, which commenced on January 23, 2024, and is scheduled to conclude on January 31, 2024.

With an ambitious goal of completing the survey ahead of schedule, the BMC is actively engaged in a house-to-house survey in all wards of Mumbai. The appointed employees are tasked with collecting vital information related to social and economic status from around 39 lakh houses in the BMC area.

Dr Sudhakar Shinde, Additional BMC Commissioner (Western Suburbs), has appealed to citizens to cooperate with the enumerators during the survey. He emphasized the importance of verifying the identity cards of the surveyors and providing the necessary information voluntarily. The survey is optional, and citizens are encouraged to support the process.

On the first day of the survey, 2 lakh 65 thousand houses were successfully surveyed, demonstrating the significant efforts put forth by the BMC staff. Dr. Shinde acknowledged that technical issues with the survey software were promptly resolved, ensuring the smooth progress of the survey.

The survey involves answering 160 to 182 questions related to basic family, financial, social, and health information. Only Maratha community and open-category family details will be collected through the questionnaire, taking approximately 25 to 30 minutes. The information is considered private and securely stored in the survey app after obtaining the informant’s signature.

Given the short duration of the survey, citizens are requested to cooperate by providing necessary information during early mornings or late evenings when enumerators are active. Dr. Shinde assured citizens that their support is crucial for the success of the survey, and those unable to complete the survey can provide information at the nearest department office.

Master Trainers from the Maharashtra State Backward Classes Commission have provided training to BMC officers and staff to ensure efficient survey execution. Technical challenges with the survey software were resolved swiftly, allowing 17,345 enumerators to start the actual survey on January 23, 2024.

The survey prioritizes the privacy and security of collected information. After determining the family’s reserved category status, no further information is sought. Informants’ signatures are securely uploaded at the end of the survey, ensuring the confidentiality of the data.

Citizens are encouraged to provide feedback and, if needed, submit incomplete survey information at the nearest department office. Dr. Shinde reiterated the importance of citizen cooperation in this significant initiative during a press conference held at the BMC headquarters.