Friday, March 26, 2010

[ZESTCaste] It’s still touch and go for SC/ST in Tamil Nadu

http://www.expressbuzz.com/edition/story.aspx?Title=It%E2%80%99s+still+touch+and+go+for+SC/ST+in+Tamil+Nadu&artid=O1hWAPowSYQ=&SectionID=lifojHIWDUU=&MainSectionID=lifojHIWDUU=&SectionName=rSY%7C6QYp3kQ=&SEO=Scheduled%20Castes%20Special%20Component%20Plan%20(SCSP)

It's still touch and go for SC/ST in Tamil Nadu

C Shivakumar

First Published : 18 Mar 2010 02:58:00 AM IST

Last Updated : 18 Mar 2010 06:15:50 AM IST

CHENNAI: Periyar would perhaps turn in his grave if he were to look at
Tamil Nadu's annual plan for 2009- 10, which violates the guidelines
of the Planning Commission on the Scheduled Castes Special Component
Plan (SCSP) and the tribal sub-plan (TSP).


In a letter to the State Chief Secretary, Planning Commission's State
plans division's joint secretary T K Pandey said Rs 2,721.62 crore
allocated by the State in its 2009-10 annual plan for the SCSP and Rs
36.36 crore for the TSP did not conform with the guidelines of the
Commission.

"The proportion of SC population is 19 per cent and of ST is one per
cent as per the 2001 census.

Based on this, the government should have earmarked Rs 3,250 crore for
SCSP and Rs 175 crore for TSP," the letter argued.

However, this seems feasible only on paper and things hardly go by the
rule book. Funds either lapse or are diverted for other developmental
schemes, says Father Irudaya Kumar, research consultant of Social
Watch, Tamil Nadu.

In 2005, Rs 500 crore was spent under the SCSP plan. Over the years,
the State claims to have spent over Rs 2,500 crore on welfare schemes
for SC. But, budget analysts say this is more an act of jugglery than
a real expansion in fund flow.

The State's annual plans of 1996-2009 show that Rs 14,224 crore has
been denied to Dalits. Several SC suspect that funds were diverted for
purchasing TVs and for building the new Secretariat complex.


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