Hyderabad: Reddy community in Telangana, which constitutes 4.8 per cent of the total population, owns 13.5 per cent of the land in the state, followed by Yadava community with a strength of 5.7 per cent in population, holds 8.7 per cent of total land, according to the caste survey conducted by the Congress government in Telangana.
The survey report, which was made public on April 15, further said that the state average of irrigated land owned per family is 0.7 acres on average. It can be observed that largely all the castes, except BC-B Perika, Velama and Reddy, own irrigated land less than the state average.
“At the top, Reddys own the highest share of total land relative to their population, indicating historical advantages in land accumulation, followed by Velamas and ST Koya. In contrast, communities like SC Bedas and the general category Muslims own much less land compared to their population share, reflecting their historical marginalisation from land assets,” the report said.
Share of general caste households owning a car is three times that of OBC and about five times that of Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs), the Telangana Socio-Economic, Educational, Employment, Political and Caste (SEEEPC) Survey-2024 said.
Brahmins have the highest share (16.4 per cent) of households owning a car-over five times the state average. Other general castes such as Rajus, Kammas, Kapus, Komatis, Velamas, and Jains also register high car ownership, indicating their relative affluence and economic security, it said.
In contrast, car ownership is nearly absent among the most deprived communities. ST Kolams record the lowest figure at just 0.2 per cent, while other tribal groups, such as ST Gonds and ST Koyas, also remain significantly below average.
The Telangana SEEEPC survey, colloquially referred to as the ‘caste survey’ is a record of 3.55 crore people’s status, feelings, experiences and hopes captured through 75 fields of information for each individual that offers a rich insight into the ‘health of Telangana society’.
Forward communities such as Velamas, Reddys, Kammas, Komatis (Vyshya), Kapus and Jains lead in land and assets ownership in Telangana, according to the Independent Expert Working Group (IEWG) headed by former Supreme Court judge Justice B Sudershan Reddy, which analysed the caste survey reports.
However, some BC castes, such as Veerashaivas and Munnurukapu, fare better than some castes, such as Iyengars, Rajus (Kshatriyas) and Brahmins, indicating a better economic status.
At the top of the Land and Assets Ownership Backwardness Index, forward castes such as Velamas, Reddys, Kammas, Komatis, Kapus, and Jains exhibit the least backwardness, the group said.
These castes traditionally have strong agrarian and trading backgrounds, ensuring substantial land and asset ownership, it said.
BC category Shaik Muslims, SC Christians, Chippolu (Mera), Pitchiguntla, Arekatika, Dudekula, and SC Madigas are among the most backward in land and asset ownership, it said.
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