SOCIAL JUSTICE MINISTRY
UTILISES FULLY ALLOCATION UNDER SPECIAL COMPONENT PLAN FOR SCHEDULED
CASTES
The
Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment made full utilization
of the funds allocated as Special Central Assistance (SCA) to
Special Component Plan (SCP) for Scheduled Castes during the last
three financial years. The Planning Commission allocated Rs. 423
crore in 2000-01, Rs. 407.70 crore in 2001-02 and Rs. 371.62 crore
in 2002-03 for the Special Component Plan for the Scheduled Caste.
The continuous reduction in the SCA allocation for the last three
years by the Planning Commission has been attributed to non –availing
of SCA funds by Seven States. These states are Bihar, Goa, Jharkhand,
Kerala, Manipur, Punjab and Delhi. The Parliamentary Standing
Committee on Labour and Welfare in its 30th Report
on Demand for Grants has expressed serious concern over these
states not availing the benefits of the scheme due to non submission
of certificate in respect of funds released to them during 2001-02.
The Supreme Court has directed
that without getting the utilization certificaes, further grants
shall not be released to the States/ Union Territories. The
Committee has recommended that Planning Commission should put
some embargo on the annual plan of such states. It said the ultimate
sufferer are not the defaulting states but the poor SC families
who have been deprived of the benefits of the scheme.
Under the scheme
cent percent Central Assistance is extended to supplement efforts
of the states / Union Territories for ensuring rapid socio economic
development of the Scheduled Castes. The objective is to support
scheduled caste families to enhance their productivity and income.
40% of the SCA is released to the State/ Union Territory on the
basis of the SC population, 25% on the basis of percentage of
SC families covered by composite development programmes in the
state plans, 10% on the related backwardness of the State/Union
Territory and the remaining 25% on the basis of Special Component
Plan to the Annual Plan as compared to the SC population percentage
in the State/ UT.
