The committees constituted to amend the SC/ST Sub-Plan Act, 2013, will have a final meeting next week to finalise its recommendations and send them to the Chief Minister for his approval.
The committees have held three meetings so far before Deputy Chief Minister Kadiam Srihari, SC Development Minister Jagadish Reddy, SC MLAs and MPs, and technical teams went to China on a week-long tour to visit the statue-making centres and interact with the sculptors for the proposed installation of a 125-feet Ambedkar statue at NTR Ghat here.
Draft ready
“The draft of the modified Act is ready. Once the Deputy Chief Minister, who heads the SC committee, and Minister G. Jagadish Reddy return, final discussions will be held and recommendations will be submitted to the Chief Minister. The modified Act will be placed in the ensuing budget session for the approval of the legislature. The changes were mainly necessitated to be in tune with the new budget format of revenue and capital expenditure instead of plan and non-plan,” sources said.
Many suggestions came from the members of the committees, including some significant proposals like keeping the total funds meant for SC and ST welfare and development with the departments concerned and they in turn would release the funds through implementing agencies under various departments.
The SC, ST departments could also spend the amounts on specific schemes and programmes. The budget allocation under SC, ST special development in proportion to their population – at 15% and 9% – should be more for development expenditure than the maintenance expenditure like salary, establishment cost and debt servicing. Expenditure on general schemes should be shown under the SC, ST expenditure as was being done, some members said.
