Funds meant for the welfare of Scheduled Castes and Tribes population have been spent for infrastructure projects, such as Namma Metro in Bengaluru and a bus terminal in Hubballi, in the current fiscal year.
A sum of Rs 83 crore was allocated for Namma Metro by Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Ltd. and Rs. 34 crore for the bus terminal in Hubballi by the Transport Department. To stop diversion of funds, the Social Welfare Department has decided to scrap “deemed allocation” of funds by various departments from the next financial year (2015-16).
Social Welfare Minister H. Anjaneya, who earlier this week reviewed the expenditure incurred under the Scheduled Castes Sub-Plan and Tribal Sub-Plan in 2014-15, told presspersons that the department itself would prepare SC and ST sub-plans and allocate funds to 32 departments in the next budget.
The State has implemented the Karnataka Scheduled Castes Sub-Plan and Tribal Sub-Plan (Planning, Allocation and Utilisation of Financial Resources) Act, 2013. A sum of Rs. 15,800 crore had been allocated under the plan in 2014-15.
The department would give priority to housing and education in next year’s action plan.
Two lakh houses, costing Rs. 2 lakh each, would be constructed in 2015-16 for homeless families, the Minister said.
Social Welfare Department has decided to scrap ‘deemed allocation’ of funds by departments from the next financial year
H. Anjaneya,
Social Welfare Minister
