In keeping with the thrust on welfare in his Budget for 2017-18, Finance Minister T.M. Thomas Isaac has set aside an unprecedented ₹2,600 crore for the Special Component Plan (SCP) for the welfare of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.
Similarly, ₹751 crore has been set aside for the Tribal Sub-Plan (TSP). Dr. Isaac said 9.81% of the total outlay is being earmarked for the SC population and 2.83% for the ST population.
Under the SCP, ₹180 crore is being provided for purchase of land and ₹500 crore for the construction of houses. Under the TSP, ₹115 crore has been set aside for housing and ₹50 crore for the rehabilitation of landless tribal people. A sum of ₹1,172 crore of the SCP and ₹176 crore of the TSP would be spent through local self-government institutions. The decisions taken by the ‘Öorukoottam’ on the TSP fund cannot be superseded by the panchayat.
Under the SCP, ₹459 crore and under TSP, ₹122 core has been earmarked for education schemes.A sum of ₹286 crore has been set aside under the SCP for post-matric scholarship of the Central government.
The government intends to launch Valsalyanidhi, a social security scheme linked with an insurance policy for girls belonging to the Scheduled Castes.
