Deprecated (16384): The ArrayAccess methods will be removed in 4.0.0.Use getParam(), getData() and getQuery() instead. - /home/brlfuser/public_html/src/Controller/ArtileDetailController.php, line: 150
 You can disable deprecation warnings by setting `Error.errorLevel` to `E_ALL & ~E_USER_DEPRECATED` in your config/app.php. [CORE/src/Core/functions.php, line 311]
Deprecated (16384): The ArrayAccess methods will be removed in 4.0.0.Use getParam(), getData() and getQuery() instead. - /home/brlfuser/public_html/src/Controller/ArtileDetailController.php, line: 151
 You can disable deprecation warnings by setting `Error.errorLevel` to `E_ALL & ~E_USER_DEPRECATED` in your config/app.php. [CORE/src/Core/functions.php, line 311]
Warning (512): Unable to emit headers. Headers sent in file=/home/brlfuser/public_html/vendor/cakephp/cakephp/src/Error/Debugger.php line=853 [CORE/src/Http/ResponseEmitter.php, line 48]
Warning (2): Cannot modify header information - headers already sent by (output started at /home/brlfuser/public_html/vendor/cakephp/cakephp/src/Error/Debugger.php:853) [CORE/src/Http/ResponseEmitter.php, line 148]
Warning (2): Cannot modify header information - headers already sent by (output started at /home/brlfuser/public_html/vendor/cakephp/cakephp/src/Error/Debugger.php:853) [CORE/src/Http/ResponseEmitter.php, line 181]
LATEST NEWS UPDATES | Plan panel agrees to bolster spending on dalits, tribals -Subodh Ghildiyal

Plan panel agrees to bolster spending on dalits, tribals -Subodh Ghildiyal

Share this article Share this article
published Published on Jan 16, 2013   modified Modified on Jan 16, 2013
-The Times of India

The Planning Commission has bowed to in-house protests that government was using shortcuts to meet the targeted budget expenditure for dalits and tribals, amending the 12th plan document to insert a pledge to reform the annual spend on these communities.

The commission has said it will beef up Scheduled Castes Sub-Plan and Tribal Sub-Plan that mandate the government to spend exclusively on SCs and STs in proportion to their population.

However, the promise of multi-pronged reform has skirted the key objection raised by social justice ministry that government was including the expenditure of ministries that are under no obligation to allocate funds under SCSP and TSP. The government has been factoring in 'estimated consumption proportion of SCs' from the spend of these 'non-mandatory' ministries.

The continuance of "estimated consumption" flies in the face of the exemption from the two sub-plans given to certain ministries because their 'universal services' cannot be calculated for a particular social group, like roads.

Sources said the social justice ministry is likely to protest again for ignoring the plea to exclude from dalit sub-plan the spending of 'non-mandatory' ministries. Minister Selja had earlier shot off letters to PM Manmohan Singh and plan panel deputy chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia ahead of approval to the 12th plan document in December.

If the government accepts the ministry's suggestion, it may have to face the challenge of bridging the gap for SC/ST sub-plans. The shortfall was estimated at Rs 22,952 crore in the central plan for 2011-12.

The proportionate spending on dalits and tribals has been suffering for many years. While improvement has been witnessed since the revision of guidelines in UPA-1, complaints of shortcuts to meet the target have not ceased.

The continuing criticism from the ministry in charge of dalit welfare shows the standoff on methodology for the sub-plans will witness a protracted battle.

The social justice ministry has protested the inclusion of wages given to SCs/STs under MGNREGA in the sub-plans, saying they were given in return of hard labour and could not be put as allocation made by rural development ministry. Ditto the money spent on dalit villages under PM's rural roads programme.

But officials are pleased that the plan panel acknowledged the need for better focus on sub-plans by issuing amendments to the plan document - pledging to earmark funds well before the start of the financial year, instituting appraisal and approval mechanism, monitoring and evaluation mechanisms to oversee the use of funds. Also, the states would have an apex body headed by chief ministers to oversee the allocations.

The Times of India, 16 January, 2012, http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/Plan-panel-agrees-to-bolster-spending-on-dalits-tribals/articleshow/18042171.cms


Related Articles

 

Write Comments

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

*

Video Archives

Archives

share on Facebook
Twitter
RSS
Feedback
Read Later

Contact Form

Please enter security code
      Close