The former Member of Parliament M. Ramadass on Saturday demanded setting up of a separate department for the implementation of Special Component Plan (Scheduled Castes Sub Plan) in the Union Territory.
In a statement, the economist-turned-politician said the recent agitation by Dalit organisations demanding proper implementation of SCP was justifiable as the community had not made any major gains from the scheme due to its poor implementation.
“The SCP has not yielded the desired results in the socio-economic empowerment of SC community due to poor implementation of the plan in the Union Territory. The guidelines of SCP had recommended a 16% budgetary outlay to implement special schemes designed to generate employment and eradication of poverty among SC community. The plan has brought some relief but proper implementation could have made substantial changes in the lives of the SC community members,” he said.
The plan was plagued by several deficiencies. Besides not setting aside the mandatory 16% of the budgetary allocation, the successive governments have diverted the funds for the general schemes with the impression that it would benefit the SC community, he said.
“There was neither proper monitoring nor evaluation of the impact of the plan by the Government. Consequently, over the years the funds allotted were not fully utilised, and there was large scale diversion and wastage producing peripheral and minimal impact on the development of the community. The trend has to be radically restructured if the SCP has to really deliver goods,” the politician said.
A separate department for the implementation of SCP should be established and it should be headed by a senior joint director of planning assisted by officials from the departments of Education, Health, PWD, Electricity, Land and Survey, Revenue, Rural Development , Agriculture and Industries. A survey should be conducted to ascertain the needs of the community and accordingly schemes should be planned for its implementation, he said.
