Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah (PTI file photo)

NEW DELHI: Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday announced a holiday for government and government-aided schools from October 8 to October 18 to allow teachers involved in the ongoing social and educational survey, known as the ‘caste survey’, to complete their work. The survey was originally scheduled to end on October 7. However, progress has been uneven across districts, prompting the government to extend the deadline by 10 days.“We were supposed to end the survey on October 7. But in some districts, the survey is almost completed, while in some districts it was lagging,” Siddaramaiah told reporters after a meeting with ministers and officials.Also read: Karnataka: Ministers clash over Lingayat issue
The chief minister gave an example, saying Koppal has 97 per cent of the survey completed, while Udupi and Dakshina Kannada stand at 63 and 60 per cent respectively. “Across the state, the survey is not yet fully complete as expected,” he added.The chief minister also announced a compensation of Rs 20 lakh each for three staff members who died while working on the survey. Teachers engaged in mid-term examinations will be exempt from the survey.Earlier in the day, the Karnataka CM said he had no position on the Lingayat community’s demand for separate religious status, even as the opposition BJP accused him of trying to divide Hindu religion and society.