CHENNAI: The National Coalition on Special Component Plan (SCP) for SCs and Tribal Sub Plan (TSP) has urged the state government to enact separate legislation for the implementation of SCP and TSP akin to the law in Telangana.
Members of the coalition along with VCK MLAs had undertaken an exposure trip to Telangana to see first-hand the implementation of the Act and the Dalit Bandhu scheme earlier this month.
As part of the Telangana State Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribes Special Development Fund (Planning, Allocation and Utilisation of Financial) Act 2017, funds are allocated in proportion to the population of SCs and STs which amount to nearly Rs 30,000 crore per year. The Dalit Bandu scheme, aimed at promoting entrepreneurship, among the scheduled caste population provides `10 lakh per family as grant.
“So far, funds have been provided to nearly 30,000 families in all 119 assembly constituencies including 18,021 families in the Huzarabad constituency where the project was implemented on a pilot basis, covering all the families.
These families can start business ventures individually and also in association with other beneficiaries. The government also helps them get business links, marketing and other legal formalities. This is a revolutionary scheme that will improve the social and economic status of the people belonging to scheduled castes drastically,” said Ramesh Nathan, convenor of the coalition in Tamil Nadu.
The members of the coalition said in Tamil Nadu, the funds earmarked under the Scheduled Castes Sub Plan (SCSP) and Tribal Sub Plan (TSP) are not spent for the welfare of the SCs and STs due to lack of separate legislation. “For example, a proportion of the funds spent for the general schemes are also shown under it on the grounds that there are SC and ST beneficiaries along with others,” they added.
The coalition has also drafted a bill for the state after studying similar bills in other states, and it has been presented to Chief Minister MK Stalin through VCK leader Thol. Tirumavalavan. Enacting separate legislation for the component was also part of the manifestos of several political parties, including the DMK. “Only spending the funds specifically for their welfare will bring a social change as the funds are non-lapsable and non-divertible. Once the legislation is in place, the funds should be carried over to the next year if they are not spent.
Telangana government started the Dalit Bandhu scheme using the carried-over amount of around Rs 17,000 crore and Rs 5,000 crore is allotted to it every year. In contrast, `50 crore is allocated to Tamil Nadu Adi Dravidar Housing and Development Corporation (TAHDCO) every year to be given as a grant. We have also asked for a white paper on expenditure under the SCSP and hopeful that the DMK government with support from other parties will take steps to implement it properly,” said Sinthanai Selvan, VCK’s floor leader in the assembly.