BENGALURU: Even while the state government is claiming "highest priority for a holistic development of the state and for the welfare of weaker sections", Dalit groups, activists and political parties are unhappy with the budget allocation made for Scheduled Caste (SC), Scheduled Tribe (ST) and Other Backward Class (OBC).
Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said in his speech that every year, 24.01% of budgetary allocation is reserved for SC/ST as per the norms. For the current year, Rs 28,234 crore is allocated under SCSP/TSP (Scheduled Caste Sub Plan/ Tribal Sub-Plan) budget which is Rs.2229 crore higher than the previous year's allocation. In a press meet, post the budget presentation, he said the allocation is in fact exceeding the norm, at 24.6%.
Veena S, President of Swaraj India, Bengaluru Urban and a Dalit transwoman called the budget allocation an eyewash while comparing it to the allocation of over Rs 30,000 crores during the Congress rule in 2017-2018.
"Despite the increase, it is still less. And the devil is in the details of utilisation. Last year too, 1000s of crores were diverted from the sub-plan funds to developmental activities like an outer ring road. We demand that no paise allocated under the SCSP/TSP plan budget this year should be diverted to other projects," Veena stated.
Although she welcomed the funds allocated for the construction of more hostels for SC, ST students, she demanded a repeal of Section 7D of the SCSP/TSP Act that permits the diversion of funds meant for SC/ST welfare. She said in the past two years, the government allocated funds but have not been utilised for the given purpose.
Meanwhile, the Safai Karamchari Kavalu Samiti had demanded Rs 300 crores be set aside to rehabilitate the 5000 odd manual scavengers in Karnataka but not a penny was allocated, pointed out Siddharth Joshi, member of the Bengaluru district unit of the Samiti.
He has observed that for the last five years, inadequate amounts have been allocated to the Karnataka State Safai Karmachari Development Corporation. The funds have not been increased substantially to ensure speedy rehabilitation of manual scavengers in the state, he argued.
"The corporation offers subsidies and loans ranging between Rs 3 lakh and Rs 7 lakh for creating self-employment opportunities. Each year huge numbers of applications are received. However, due to insufficient funds, only Rs 50,000 is given on paper of which only Rs 25,000 reaches the person's hand. 70 percent to 80 percent of the people receive this amount. This is not enough in a place like Bengaluru, for them to start a new life," Joshi explained.