In a significant move to ensure the smooth execution of Karnataka’s Social and Educational Survey, top officials from the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA), including its five corporation commissioners, will hold crucial meetings with Resident Welfare Associations (RWAs) and apartment owners’ associations this week. These sessions, starting Tuesday, are aimed at fostering community cooperation for the survey, which is now slated to begin on October 3.
Originally, the survey within GBA limits was expected to start on October 8. However, following direct instructions from the Chief Minister’s office, the timeline has been expedited to October 3, as confirmed by a senior official. Currently, training programs for enumerators are underway and will conclude by Tuesday. Once the training is complete, deployment plans will be finalized, assigning each enumerator to a specific corporate area. This structured approach will ensure clear instructions are in place, prioritizing the survey’s efficient and timely completion.
Bengaluru presents unique challenges due to its substantial population of IT professionals often working demanding hours. To address this, GBA officials plan to collaborate closely with resident associations to identify optimal time slots when residents are most likely to be available. This proactive measure aims to minimize resistance and delays during the data collection process. Furthermore, these community groups will receive comprehensive briefings on the survey methodology and will be urged to extend their full support, including preventing the removal of survey stickers placed in their localities.
The survey’s initial launch date of September 22 was postponed within GBA limits. This delay was a direct result of government directives instructing civic agencies to prioritize urgent urban issues such as the city’s severe pothole crisis, garbage disposal, and essential road repair works. These pressing concerns, particularly the poor condition of roads surrounding major tech hubs, had garnered widespread public criticism and were even labeled a “national embarrassment.” The imperative to resolve these infrastructure and waste management challenges temporarily sidelined the survey preparations. Compounding these issues were a shortage of field staff in Bengaluru and a series of government holidays, further slowing down the process.
This isn’t the first instance where RWAs have played a pivotal role in government initiatives. During the Scheduled Caste (SC) survey conducted earlier this year, BBMP officials successfully leveraged RWA support to facilitate enumerators’ access to households and boost resident participation. Officials emphasize that lessons learned from these previous experiences highlight the immense value of early engagement with community associations, as their buy-in significantly enhances cooperation and the overall efficiency of enumeration efforts.