State Budget –Dalits deprived from their share in Maharashtra Deprives Dalits by Rs. 1717.2 Crores!
State Government Denies 42.59 % of the amount meant for SCs in the 2008-09 State Budget.
With false promises, State Government has again betrayed Dalits this year. The total budget allocation under Plan Outlay for the year 2008-2009 is Rs. 25,000.00 crore and under the Scheduled Caste Sub Plan (SCSP). Government of Maharashtra is liable to allocate Rs. 4050.00 crore exclusively for Dalits (16..2 % of the total plan budget –Total population of SC including Nav-Boudh) but it has allocated Rs. 2332.80 crore (57.6 % of the total due under the SCSP) for the welfare of SCs, which means again SCs have been deprived by Rs 1717..2 crores. This year again it has diverted 42.4 % of the amount SCs are due to receive under the SCSP! This exposes the stark ‘discrimination' that is being practiced by the State Government.
(Amount in Crores)
Amount Denied to SCs in the ' Inclusive Budget' - 2008-09 |
||||
Total Plan Outlay |
Amount Due to SCs |
Amount Allocated in 2008-09 |
Amounts denied |
% of Amount Denied |
25000.00 |
4050.00 |
2332.80 |
1717.2 |
42.4% |
The figures of allocation are a mute witness of the denial of exclusion. It is not only for this year, this trend is observed for the last 27 years since the inception of Scheduled Caste Sub Plan, (earlier Special Component Plan) in 1979-80, the Union as well as State governments are making a mockery of the guidelines and have blatantly violated the directions. This amounts to ‘willful negligence' and those responsible are liable to be punished for this crime.
The government own reports tells the wide disparity and uneven growth among Dalits with comparison to general population this budget has not cater to take initiatives to bring Dalits into the manifold of development. Maharashtra Census Report 2001 shows the literacy among SC is still 71.9 % and still 61.7% population staying in rural areas and working as an agriculture Labour. Drop out rate is higher at primary and higher secondary level. 46.1% SC are still working as agriculture Labour and most of them are landless and marginal farmers. Only 12.9% SC are cultivators on their own farms. According to 1998-99 statistics 56% SC women, suffering from anemia and 35.43% SCs are below poverty line.
25 Departments have allocated amount under SCSP. 4 departments allocated less than 50 lakhs which seems to have been done more as a formality. Only 16 departments including Crop husbandry, Animal husbandry, SJSY, Rural employment, Yashwant Gram Samrudhi Yojna, Major & Medium irrigation, Minor irrigation, General education, Sports and Youth services, Technical education, water supply and sewerage, Urban development, welfare of backward classes, Social welfare etc. have actually given considerable amounts.
The rest of the Departments – prominently DPAP, IRDP, EGS, Land Reforms, Special Action plan for hilly Areas, Major and Minor Irrigation, Science and Technology, YASHDA, Tourism, Art and Culture, Medical education & Drugs, General Services etc. have ‘Zero' allocations. This clearly shows only that the development of SCs will not be in the driving sectors of the economy.
It is really derogative step that very less allocations for the important departments such as Health services allocated only 271.1 lakhs, Housing only allocated 14 lakhs, Technical education only 40.23 lakhs and General education 2570.75 lakhs only.
State government is saying that they are allocated 2332.70 crore under SCSP but while calculating department wise allocation it is showing 2316.80 crore only.
This gross denial and violation of rights and entitlements of SCs and exclusion from right to development cannot continue. State government should take the responsibility for this continuing exclusion of SCs and STs and women. In order to improve this, we the concerned citizens, Dalit civil society bodies and other democratic forces demand the state government the following:
• The State Government releases a white paper on the implementation of the SCSP (SCP) and TSP since its initiation.
• State Budget 2008-09 must have 16.2 per cent proportion of the total budget, plan and non-plan towards SCSP and 8.2 per cent for TSP. This must be reflected in all the ministries with clear conceived schemes for individual and family benefits of SCs and STs.
• There should be a separate Ministry for development of SCs – ‘Ministry of Progression of Scheduled Castes' both at the Centre as well as States/UTs for the welfare and development of SCs. The Ministries should have the necessary expertise primarily drawn from SCs who will advise all the ministries/departments for innovating inclusive programmes.
• The unspent provisions, if any, in any sector should not lapse, but automatically be credited to a Revolving Fund.
• Women contribute equally in all economic spheres. Budgetary allocations therefore in proportion to the population of women in all areas to be made in a special way. Special focus to be made on Entrepreneurship, Health, Education, Skill Development, Land and Resource management and Social Security of Women.
SCSP Budget Analysis 2008-2009
Mr. Pravin More & Mr. Ranjeet Ahiwale.
During the 6 th plan, the government of India introduced a strategy called Special component Plan (SCP) which is renamed as Scheduled Castes Sub Plan (SCSP) for the socio-economic welfare of Dalits. I t was made mandatory for all State governments departments as well as the central government departments. This plan provides direct benefits to the SC individuals, families and hamlets. The SCSP allocations should be earmarked according to the proportion of the SC population (including Nav-Boudha too) i.e. 16.2 % in the total population of the Maharashtra state.