342 The trail of betrayal of the SCs Continues in the Special Component Plan 09-10 - 55% of the Due Amount in SCP is denied again this year - No new Schemes for Addressing the Problem of SCs By Dalit Arthik Adhikar Andolan/NCDHR

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The trail of betrayal of the SCs Continues in the Special Component Plan 09-10

55% of the Due Amount in SCP is denied again this year

No new Schemes for Addressing the Problem of SCs

Prepared By Dalit Arthik Adhikar Andolan/NCDHR

16 February 2009

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Five years ago the people of India had voted for change. In the words of our Prime Minister, Dr.Manmohan Singh, people had sought “a change in the manner in which this country is run, a change in the national priorities and a change in the processes and focus of the Government”. The Common Minimum Programme of the United Progressive Alliance, built around ‘Aam Aadmi’, was a response to this call for change. This is the starting of the Budget Speech of 2009-10 presented by UPA on the 16 Feb 2009 – at a time when next General election is to be held in a few months. The startling question which has been from the beginning of UPA regime that does this ‘Aam Aaadmi’ include Scheduled castes and Scheduled Tribes? Or does it exclude them as it often does? The UPA government for the five year has been denying SCs/STs our legitimate share of the Budget allotment as per Special component Plan.

This year the total Plan Outlay is Rs.2,12,431 Crores and as per the Special Component Plan the SCs are liable to get Rs. 34,413.82 Crores. The total allocation under SCP is only Rs.15,280.08 Crores. The amount denied is Rs. 19,133.74 Crores. The percentage allocated to SCs is a meager 7.1% of the total Plan Outlay. As per the policy, 16.2%, is the amount that should have been allocated. This is even lower than the last year allocation which was 7.5%. While the total increase in the plan outlay is 15.74% it is unacceptable that at this critical time of financial crisis, the amount for the socially and economically vulnerable sections is drastically reduced. The amount denied is 55% this year!

Budget Allocations in Total Plan Outlay Under Special Component Plan for SCs – 2009-2010

(in Rs. Crore)

Financial Year	Total Plan Expenditure*	Due as per SCP	SCP Allocation	Denied Amount	% SCP to Total Plan Expenditure
2009-10(BE)	212431	34413.82	15280.08	19133.74	7.19

* Plan Expenditure excluding Central Assistance to States and UTs with legislature, Source: Expenditure Volume 1 and 2 ,Budget at Glance

The share of expenditure on SCs from Total expenditure is lowered to 1.74% from 1.93% similarly centre share for SCs to the total GDP at current market price is only 0.28%.

Total Expenditure on SCs in the Budget both Plan and non-Plan Budget 2009-2010

(in Rs. Crore)

Financial Year	Total Expenditure	Total GDP at current market price	Expenditure on SC	% SC share of total Expenditure	Total as % of GDP
2009-10(BE)	953231	6021426	16603.84	1.74	0.28

Out of 75 Departments in the Union Ministries only 16 have allocated under SCP. 9 Departments/Ministries have allocated token amounts below 5%. Labor and Employment, Science & Technology, Bio-technology, Panchayat Raj, Textiles are some of the examples. Ministry of HRD, Social Justice & Empowerment, Rural Development, Women and child Development and Ministry of Health and Family Welfare are the departments who have made allocations as per the proportion of the population. The nodal Ministry, Ministry of social Justice and Empowerment has retained the same pattern of allocation with some minor changes. It has increased Rajiv Gandhi Fellowship from 75 Crores 2008-09 BE to 87.94 Crores in 2008-09 RE but again decreased it to 79 Crores 2009-10 BE. Under-utilisation of allocated fund is also the major concern for example the Scheme of Pre-Matric Scholarship for children of those engaged in unclean occupations-only Rs.2.37 Crore has been released against the Budget estimates of Rs.54 Crore for 2008-09.

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Total Amount Denied to SCs - 2005-2010

(in Rs. Crore)

Financial Year	Total Plan Expenditure*	Due as per SCP	SCP Allocation	Denied Amount
2005-06 (RE)	113043	18312.966	6578.59	11734.38
2006-07(RE)	134757	21830.634	8473.94	13356.69
2007-08(RE)	158491	25675.542	12367.77	13307.77
2008-09(RE)	183528	29731.536	14727.02	15004.52
2009-10(BE)	212431	34413.822	15280.08	19133.74
Total Amount Denied to SCs - 2005-2010				72537.10

*Plan Expenditure excluding Central Assistance to States and UTs with legislature, Source: Expenditure Volume I and II 2009-10

Total Denied amount to SCs in UPA 5 years of rule goes up to Rs. 72,534.10 crores. The figures of allocation are a mute witness to the history of denial of exclusion. It is not only for the last five years, this trend is observed for the last 28 years since the inception Special Component Plan in 1979-80; the Union as well as State governments are making a mockery of the guidelines and have blatantly violated the directions. This amounts to 'willful negligence' and those responsible are liable to be punished for this crime.

We demand:

Union Budget 2009-10 must have 16.2 per cent proportion of the plan budget towards SCSP This must be reflected in all the ministries with clear conceived schemes for individual and family benefits of SCs.
Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment to be Nodal department for formulation and implementation of SCP. The funds earmarked for SCP should be at the disposal of Nodal department to for sectoral re-allocation to various departments for implementing the schemes for SCs.
The unspent provisions, if any, in any sector should not lapse, but automatically be credited to a Revolving Fund.
The Departments/Ministries involved in infrastructure, energy, industry, minerals, Communications, Power and others economic sectors must develop divisible schemes for the benefit of SCs.
The minor head 789 should be opened while doing allocations under SCP both at the Union and states levels.
Women contribute equally in all economic spheres. Budgetary allocations therefore in proportion to the population.

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This response to Interim Union Budget is prepared by Dalit Arthik Adhikar Abhiyan of NCDHR. Please visit NCDHR website for more details about the activities and programmes run by NCDHR <http://www.ncdhr.org.in/>

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