States diverting funds meant for Dalits' welfare
Vikas Pathak, Hindustan Times
New Delhi, October 16, 2010First Published: 23:51 IST(16/10/2010)
Last Updated: 00:08 IST(17/10/2010)
The Delhi government may have invited sharp criticism over the
diversion of R744 crore funds meant for Scheduled Castes' — or
Dalits' — welfare to the Commonwealth Games over five years, but many
states have routinely been guilty of flouting norms when it comes to
earmarking funds for Dalits.
Planning Commission guidelines mandate that each state allocate funds
for the development of Scheduled Castes in proportion to their
populations in their annual plan, and place the allocations under a
separate budget head. This is technically called the Scheduled Caste
Sub Plan (SCSP).
However, the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Social Justice and
Empowerment expressed concern in 2008-end that Kerala, Bihar and
Rajasthan had not earmarked any funds specifically for Scheduled
Castes' development. The scale of funds Dalits may have missed out on
can be gauged from the fact that the Dalit population of the three
states is 9.8 per cent, 15.7 per cent and 17.2 per cent, respectively.
This violation of Planning Commission guidelines was happening at a
time when Delhi was indulging in the said diversion, which has made
the new Scheduled Caste Commission chairman P.L. Punia condemn the
diversion "if" it has actually taken place.
The same parliamentary panel said that Andhra Pradesh with an SC
population of 16 per cent had allocated just 7 per cent of funds for
SC development, Himachal Pradesh with an SC population of 24 per cent
just 11 per cent and Punjab with an SC population of about 29 per cent
just 26 per cent.
"We regularly take up such matters with states and ask them to ensure
compliance," said a Social Justice Ministry official.
In 2006-07, the amount actually allocated for SCSP for 14 states and
Union territories across India was R3,223 crore less than what it
should been as per their SC populations, meaning it was R21,461 crore
instead of the required R 24,684 crore.
For the previous two years, the corresponding deficit in allocation
was R5,688 crore and R5,591-crore, respectively.
The government has told the Rajya Sabha that the percentage of funds
allocated for SCs by all states and Union territories was just 11.2
per cent in 2005-06 and 12.9 per cent in 2006-07. It came up to a more
respectable 15.8 per cent in 2007-08. Ideally, it should be equal to
the SC population of the nation, which is 16.2 per cent.
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