Ministries urged to allocate separate funds for tribal welfare
NEW DELHI: Beginning 2011-12 fiscal, Union ministries may have to earmark funds for exclusive welfare of tribals even if they make roads that are used by all communities, give telephones across social divisions and provide food without consideration of caste.
As Union budget is presented this Monday, tribal affairs minister Kantilal Bhuria has written to all his colleagues that they earmark funds under the Tribal Sub Plan (TSP) as per their financial obligation marked by the Planning Commission's task force, headed by Narendra Jadhav.
He has also asked them to separately mention the TSP funds for every scheme in the Budget Estimates. A copy of Jadhav committee report has been attached to the letter.
The 1974-promulgated sub-plan states that every ministry should spend money on tribal welfare in proportion to the community's population (8.2%). But the plan, devised to ensure that marginalised groups get a share in development, has been a non-starter. The stock objection from most ministries has been: how do they spend money on tribals when their projects cater to all social groups?
Bhuria hopes the Jadhav committee will settle the debate on plan quantification for tribals in infrastructure and civic amenities, which has proved tricky and largely been the reason behind its not taking off.
The Jadhav panel divided Union ministries into three categories -- those which are to spend less than 7.5%, those between 7.5% and 8.2% and those above 8.2%.
The first category covers ministries where division of money specifically for tribals is not easy. The panel devised a formula and arrived at a figure. The telecommunications department is to spend 0.25% of its outlay, road transport and highways (3.5%), IT department (6.6%), textiles (1.2%), food and public distribution (1.4%), culture (2%), science and technology (2.5%).
The figure shot up to 8.2%, thanks to ministries catering to human development like higher education, youth affairs, sports, women and child development and health, family welfare and also coal.
The expectation is much higher from rural development (17.5%), school education (10.7%) and drinking water (10%).
The Jadhav committee also devised a similar formula for Scheduled Caste Sub Plan in which the plan financial obligation for dalits is 16.2%.