Respond to the report of taskforce to review the guidelines of SCSP and TSP

Dear Friends,

The Planning Commission of India has set up a Task Force to Review the existing Guidelines on Scheduled Castes Sub-Plan (SCSP) and Tribal Sub-Plan (TSP) in 2010. The task force has submitted its report on 25th November 2010 and is due to be approved by the cabinet. We observe that this report is total dilution of the original spirit of the policy.

The report has exempted 43 ministries from allocating funds under SCSP and TSP and another 10 ministries to allocate funds less than 15% and 9 ministries to allocate between 15-16% and only 6 ministries to allocate beyond 16.2%. This recommendation not only reduces the availability of funds by 37% (approximately) but also limits the SCSP support to primary sectors and keeps no obligation to the ministries which are considered as the growth engines of the modern society. 

Hence we request every educated Dalit to read this draconian report and act as you wish to get our rightful due share in the budget for the direct benefit of Dalits and Adivasis in the country. In fact the present report has ignored the recommendations / suggestions given by eminent persons like Shri. P.S. Krishnan IAS (Rtd.) such as take out 16.2% and 8.2% for SCSP and TSP respectively before the plan budget is allocated to various ministries to overcome the divisibility and non-divisibility of funds. This report instead of finding extra or more funds for the SCs and STs is recommending to subsidies flagship programs of the Govt. like MGNREGA, IAY etc with SCSP and TSP funds to the extent of the SC /ST beneficiaries in the programs..

To enable you to act we have given a gist of the recommendations from the report as well as the full text of the report download from the planning commission of India site. http://tinyurl.com/49rakjn

Task Force to Review Guidelines on SCSP & TSP Recommendations to Revise Guidelines for Implementation By Central Ministries/Departments, Government of India Planning Commission

25th November, 2010

Terms of Reference 1. to re-examine and revise the extant Guidelines issued by the Planning Commission for implementation of SCSP and TSP; to understand the operational difficulties in consultation with implementing Ministries and suggest remedial action so that SCSP and TSP can be implemented effectively Gist of Recommendations For Financial Year 2011-2012 For 12th Five-Year Plan to be refined further based on experience 1. 68 Ministries/Departments can be grouped into four categories:

1. No Obligation; 2. Earmarking less than 15% for SCs and 7.5% for STs; 3. Earmarking outlays between 15% – 16.2% for SCs and 7.5% – 8.2% for STs; 4. Earmarking more than 16.2% for SCs and 8.2% for STs. 2. Proposed Criteria for categorizing Plan Expenditure under SCSP & TSP 1. Expenditure on Poverty Alleviation and individual beneficiary oriented schemes, e.g. MNREGA, IAY, NRLM, SGSRY, PMEGP etc., and 2. Expenditure on other schemes which is incurred in: a) SC and ST concentration areas respectively, i.e. in the villages, blocks and districts having more than 40% SC/ST population respectively, and largely benefiting such villages, blocks and districts, and b) in other areas, but which demonstrably benefits SCs/STs respectively 3. New/modified schemes which may be considered for being so taken up include: 1. A new scheme of giving assistance to States for purchasing private land for allotment to landless SCs. 2. Greater targeting of SCs under a) Vocational Training and Skill Development Scheme of the Ministry of Labor and Employment, b) Integrated Handloom Development Scheme of Ministry of Textiles, 3. Increase in the subsidy under SCA to SCSP Scheme of Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, and 4. Enhanced equity support to National Scheduled Castes Finance and Development Corporation (NSFDC), 4. Placing of Earmarked Funds for SCSP under the Separate Budget Head ‘789’ and for TSP under ‘796’ MoU signed between the Planning Commission and the concerned Ministry/Department. 5. Strengthening of Administrative Arrangements for Planning and Implementation of SCSP/TSP 1. Nodal Units, to be headed by a Joint Secretary (Planning) or Economic Adviser should be set up in all Ministries/Departments, which have obligations to earmark under SCSP and TSP, with requisite full time supporting staff. 2. Ministries/Departments having obligation of earmarking more than 16.2% under SCSP and/or more than 8.2% under TSP may have a full time Joint Secretary level officer to head the SCSP/TSP Unit. 3. In the Planning Commission, the Social Justice Division may be headed by a Principal Adviser, with two Advisers to assist him – one each for SCSP and TSP. 4. The Central Tripartite Committee (CTC) must be fully activated, and it must regularly review implementation of SCSP/TSP, as also promptly resolve inter-ministerial issues, if any. 6. Next Steps for Implementation of the Recommendations 1. Commission may urgently issue a supplementary circular, incorporating suitable Instructions, based on this Task Force’s recommendations outlined in para 5.1 to 5.7 above, to Central Ministries/Departments for preparing their Plan proposals under SCSP and TSP, accordingly. 2. Final plan outlays for 2011-12 to Central Ministries/Departments, it should separately convey the figure to be earmarked under SCSP/TSP (as is already being done for the NER). 3. To add requisite columns in the format for Statement of Budget Estimates (SBEs) to show scheme-wise outlays under SCSP/TSP, which must add up to the level communicated as per (ii) above. 7. Implementation of Non-lapsability feature 1. unutilized at the end of a financial year may be transferred, on the lines of the Non-lapsable Central Pool of Resources (NLCPR) 2. to two Pools to be named as “Non-lapsable Central Pool of SCSP Funds (NLCPSF)” and “Non-lapsable Central Pool of TSP Funds (NLCPTF)” 3. May be allocated to the Ministry of SJ&E and Ministry of Tribal Affairs respectively for implementing schemes for SCs and STs Development as well as for providing incentives to State Governments for effective implementation of SCSP and TSP, which may form a part of Central Assistance for State Plans.

Regards

Karthik Navayan

COURTESY: karthiknavayan.wordpress