Telangana survey flags urban-rural divide, caste disparities
HYDERABAD: A recent Telangana government CPC survey has highlighted a clear and deep divide between rural and urban areas in the state. The survey finds that 40% of the population lives in urban areas.
The Telangana Socio-Economic, Educational, Employment, Political and Caste Survey (CPC) 2024, released recently, brings out several findings. It shows that Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST) and Backward Classes (BC), who form 56% of the population, are more concentrated in rural areas compared to other groups. These communities also face higher levels of discrimination. The survey covered around 3.55 crore people across 242 castes, accounting for about 97% of the population.
The findings confirm that poverty is structurally linked to social identity, irrespective of geography. SC and ST communities are nearly three times more backward than general categories.
Literacy higher in cities, gaps persist in villages
The poverty rate in the state stands at 9.6%. Literacy levels are higher in urban areas than in rural regions. Among SCs, about 36.7% are illiterate, with higher illiteracy recorded in rural areas.
Employment patterns also differ. In urban areas, 51% are engaged in self-employment, compared to 38% in rural areas. Cities offer jobs across sectors, while rural employment is largely limited to agriculture and manual labour.
About 68% of wealthy families live in urban areas, while only 20% of poor families reside in cities. Conversely, 68% of poor families are concentrated in rural areas.
A clear gap is also seen in employment. Rural populations depend more on agricultural and manual work. Nearly 50% of SC families in rural areas are engaged in manual labour compared to their urban counterparts.
Infrastructure gaps wider in rural regions
The survey also points to disparities in access to basic amenities such as water, electricity and toilets. In both rural and urban areas, 63% of families live in small two room houses. However, the lack of infrastructure is more acute in rural and underdeveloped regions.
