In a bid to improve level of utilisation of funds specially allocated for the welfare of Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs), a task force, constituted by Planning Commission, has suggested overhauling the guidelines for providing the dedicated resources. The task force, headed by plan panel member Narendra Jadhav, has also suggested classification of ministries into four categories for earmarking funds for improving the living standard of the SC/ST.
Presently, all ministries and departments are mandated to earmark 16.2 and 8.2 per cent of their plan expenditure for SC and ST sub-plans respectively. While submitting the report to deputy chairman planning commission Montek Singh Ahluwalia, Dr Jadhav said, “Only one ministry out of 68 Central ministries has clearly earmarked funds for the SC/ST sub-plans and we are not clear as to where the money is going.”
He also said, “In the current year (2010-11), around `68,000 crores was to be spent exclusively for SC/ST by the Central ministries but the committee found that earmarking by various ministries was not clear enough to ensure that the intended benefit goes to the section.”
Receiving the report, Mr Ahluwalia said the recommendation of the task force would reflect in the budgetary allocations for the next fiscal.
The second set of recommendation for states would be submitted by the task force so that it could be implemented in next fiscal, he added. The committee has classified 43 ministries under Category-I, where they don’t have any obligation to earmark money under SC/ST sub-plans.
These Central ministries and departments are engaged in regulatory functions, basic scientific research, addressing target groups other than SC/ST, implementing large infrastructure projects whose benefit to SC/ST may be difficult to quantify.
Under Category-II, there would be ministries, which mainly belong to Category-I but also implement some beneficiary oriented schemes.
The committee recommended that the Category-II ministries should earmark up to 15 per cent of funds under SC sub-plan and up to 7.5 per cent funds under ST sub-plan. Category-III ministries would be those, which in the primary sector (farm sector, higher education, skill development).
Such ministries should earmark 15 to 16.2 per cent of funds for SC sub plan and 7.5 to 8.2 per cent of funds under ST sub-plan.