Ministries unhappy with Niti Aayog’s idea

NEW DELHI: Government think tank Niti Aayog’s suggestion to departments and ministries that do not have a component earmarked for spending on Dalits and tribals has been received with some scepticism.

Ministries such as coal and shipping, which only have a Scheduled Tribe (ST) sub-plan component, are unsure about how to allocate and utilise the money that will be blocked for the purpose of Scheduled Caste (SC) sub-plan.

All central ministries and departments have to set aside an allocation for the SC/ST subplans that are used for the welfare of Dalits and tribal communities. While 26 ministries have an SC sub-plan, 32 have an ST sub-plan.

At a meeting chaired by Ratan P Watal, the think tank’s principal adviser (social sector) last month, ministries and departments were told to increase the allocation of funds for schemes aimed at promoting socio-economic interests of SCs and STs. Ministries that do not allocate funds for either category were also asked to assign them.

Sources in the government said based on the Aayog’s suggestion, the ministry of social justice and empowerment was likely to move a cabinet note soon to increase the number of ministries that have an SC sub-plan from the present 26 to 41.

Even as the process to increase the ambit of the SC/ST sub-plan gets underway, some officials have pointed out that the government should first focus on spending the allocated funds.

“A large portion of funds allocated under the Scheduled Caste sub-plan and tribal sub-plan by different ministries remains unutilised and goes back to the exchequer at the end of the fiscal year. It makes little sense then to keep allocating funds without mechanisms to ensure they reach beneficiaries,” said an official.

In the culture ministry, for instance, the NITI Aayog suggestion has set off concerns about how to design schemes and allocate funds. “The move is not feasible since we do not allocate funds to groom talent based on caste. We give financial assistance to promote arts and artists; discriminating on the basis of caste is not logical,” a senior official said.

Similar concerns were expressed by the road ministry.

Officials are learnt to have expressed reservations over the move as they see no merit in putting aside money for the SC component since the ministry is already allocating funds for the tribal sub-plan. “A special programme for development of roads in Left-Wing Extremism affected areas is run in addition to allocations under the tribal sub-plan in over eight states. Roads and highways are planned for better connectivity of far-flung areas with high tribal population. We will have to consider how to create an additional budget for SC sub-plan and how to utilise it,” a ministry official said.