Now, Centre to monitor funds allocated for welfare of tribals and Dalits

[Paul Divakar]

NEW DELHI: The Narendra Modi government has put in place a new system to spend `84,000 crore for the welfare of tribals and Dalits. This will allow the government to centrally monitor for the first time funds earmarked for tribal sub-plan and scheduled caste sub-plan, and observe physical targets to check the efficacy of its intervention. 

The system has been put in place following a directive from the Prime Minister's Office in December last year to devise an automated system to see where the government is spending the money meant for SCs and STs, and whether it is making any difference at all. 

Under the new system, each central ministry will have to upload details of a project - name, district where it has been sanctioned, financial estimate and contractor, if any - on a central system, accessible to the two nodal ministries of tribal affairs, and social justice and empowerment. 

With this common format, the nodal ministries will be able to monitor where the money is being spent and whether it should be spent there. A framework of deliverables has been worked out to see if the government is following the right approach. 

For instance, a scheme for tribal schoolchildren will be monitored for two years to see if there is any change in dropout rate. In case there is no change in deliverables, the government will change its strategy. Under the tribal sub-plan the ministries have earmarked an unprecedented Rs 31,990 cr this year and Rs 52,000 cr under SC sub-plan. 

Specific districts have been identified and a note sent to all ministries to frame projects for their targeted development. 

A senior government official told ET, "There were several instances when money from tribal sub-plan and SC sub-plan would be spent on national highways or midday meals because ministries would justify it saying that even tribals or SCs are getting these facilities. But now a list of districts have been given to ministries telling them that these are SC and ST dominated districts, so you must spend your funds here." 

The tribal affairs ministry has prepared a list of 163 districts which have 25% or more population of tribals and of these there are 94 districts which have more than 50% tribal population. The ministries have been advised to concentrate tribal sub-plan funds there. This system will check misuse of money earmarked for SCs and STs. 

"We will get alerts whenever there is a new project sanctioned. For instance, if we see tribal sub-plan money being spent in Punjab, we will have to ask the ministry to divert the project to a tribal-dominated district rather than a state which has no tribal population," said a ministry official. 

Tribal rights activists have been raising issues in several states where funds meant for tribal welfare have been allegedly used to buy helicopters and build helipads. Both the heads are likely to be renamed, according to people familiar with the matter, who said that the tribal sub-plan has been renamed 'Allocation for Welfare of STs". Centre-to-monitor-funds-allocated-for-welfare-of-tribals-and-dalits

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N. Paul Divakar
Secretary
Swadhikar/NCDHR
8/1 South Patel nagar, 2nd Floor
New Delhi - 110 008
Mobile: +91 99100 46813

pauld...@ncdhr.org.in

Skype ID: pdanamala

Twitter: @paulncdhr
www.ncdhr.org.in

[Wil Topno]

Dear Paul

Thank you  for the  information.

Wilfred Topno

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Wilfred Topno( Secretary)-,

Peoples Action for Deveopment (PAD)

Mission  Baligaon, P.O. Gogamukh-787034                                                          

Dhemaji, Assam, India

On Tue, Apr 25, 2017 at 12:51 PM, Paul Divakar <pauld...@ncdhr.org.in> wrote:

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[Rajendra Prasad Mamgain]

Dear Paul saheb,

Congrats for this information. 

This is certainly a remarkable step by the present government towards dedicated outcome oriented expenditures under sub-plans. 

Mamgain

--

Dr. Rajendra P. Mamgain
Professor of Economics
Giri Institute of Development Studies, Lucknow &
Managing Editor, The Indian Journal of Labour Economics
(M) 07839097029; 09968426545

[Stan Swamy]

Thank you Paul for the encouraging news that at last funds meant for SC/ST communities may be used for them only and not be diverted to generic projects.

On 25 April 2017 at 12:51, Paul Divakar <pauld...@ncdhr.org.in> wrote:

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[hrangthan chhungi]

Dear  Paul

Thank you for this information and let me congratulate you and your team for the unending and tireless efforts you have put forth... 

Let's hope for the best

With kind regards 

Chhungi 

[Alosyius Irudayam]

Thanks for this good news, Paul.

At last some seriousness has come into the system.

But we still need to monitor this.

 

Aloy

[William Stanley]

Dear Paul,

Good news but we need to monitor the monitoring agencies from the people's  movement, civil society and whistle blowers, all the best and thanks for the continuous effort you are all putting on, in solidarity, William Stanley.

On Tue, Apr 25, 2017 at 12:51 PM, Paul Divakar <pauld...@ncdhr.org.in> wrote:

--

You can chain me, you can torture me, you can even destroy this body, but you will never imprison my mind. M K Gandhi

William Stanley
00 91 9849120377 

'to help people to help themselves - people's development in people's hands'

[Annie Namala]

a positive turn... to see how much ministries comply

at least we have a track to monitor

congrats to all

annie

On Tue, Apr 25, 2017 at 12:51 PM, Paul Divakar <pauld...@ncdhr.org.in> wrote:

--

Annie Namala

Executive Director

Centre for Social Equity and Inclusion (CSEI)

Phone: 91-11-45143358

Mobile: 9871800639

Please note new email id: an...@cseiindia.org.in

[Dharmdev Paswan]

Dear paul sir  good morning 

sir thanks for the good information.

Best regards 

Dharmdeo Paswan 
NCDHR-SWADHIKAR

Nawada Bihar

--

Best Regards
Thanking you


Dharmdeo Paswan (Dist.-Coordinator)
National Campaign on Dalit Human Rights
Dalit Arthik Adhikar Andolan (SWADHIKAR)
Nawada Bihar-805104
Email:dharm...@gmail.com
Mob: 08873640395/09471924340

 

[Chitti Babu]

Jaibheem Anna,Thank you for this information and let me congratulate you...

Actually The tribal affairs ministry has prepared a list of 163 districts which have 25% or more population of tribals and of these there are 94 districts which have more than 50% tribal population. But what about SCs ? howmany districts they have selected?