Author: Rajeev Ranjan Roy
Publication: The Pioneer
Date: January 3, 2008
In a blatant discrimination, the Centre has
reduced the fund allocation for the welfare of Scheduled Castes and Other
Backward Classes by Rs 3,000 crore in the 11th Five-Year Plan, but trebled
the allocation for the minorities to Rs 1,400 crore per annum against Rs 500
crore.
Government sources said the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment (SJ&E)
had sought Rs 16,100 crore for the 11th Plan to carry out welfare schemes
for SCs and OBCs, out of which Rs 11,185 crore was to be spent on socio-economic
development of SCs between 2007 and 2012. The share of OBCs was Rs 2,250 crore.
"Since the Centre has drastically reduced
the allocation for the Plan period by almost Rs 3,000 crore, the Ministry
was left with no option but to adjust internal funds disbursement accordingly.
The Ministry would now only have Rs 9,097 crore to be spent on various welfare
schemes meant for SCs during the Plan period, while the OBCs would get only
Rs 1,588 crore," sources said.
OBCs are going to be the worst hit by the
Centre's move to reduce the quantum of funds for disadvantaged groups of the
society. "Earlier, the Ministry planned to earmark 14 per cent of total
funds to be spent on the development of OBCs, and now only 12 per cent would
be available for them, while 70 per cent would go to the welfare schemes for
SCs," they added.
The Centre has kept minorities, particularly
Muslims, in good humour by allocating Rs 7,000 crore for 11th Plan. It increases
the annual allocation to the Ministry of Minority Affairs (MMA) from Rs 500
crore to Rs 1,400 crore. Incidentally, the Ministry had sought only Rs 1,100
crore as annual allocation.
"It is a win-win situation for the Muslims
in particular. Apart from the minority schemes, they would continue to avail
the benefits of other schemes as well in the capacity of being OBCs. Over
90 per cent Muslims are already included in the State and Central lists of
OBCs."
The MMA officials justified the increase in
funds, stating that the "effectiveness of welfare schemes would be minimised
if the Government does not make funds available as per the requirements".
"What kind of multi-sectoral development
programmes could be launched in the minorities concentration districts with
over Rs 120 crore? There are over 90 such districts in the country,"
they argued.
"We had asked for around Rs 12,000 crore
for initiating several welfare and developmental programmes for minority communities
during 11th Plan. But the Centre has approved only Rs 7,000 crore. We hope
the Centre would further increase the allocation," a Ministry official
said.
Blatant discrimination
* SC, OBC welfare funds reduced by Rs 3,000
crore
* Minorities' share hiked from Rs 500 crore
to Rs 1,400 crore a year
* Social Justice and Empowerment Ministry
sought Rs 1,600 cr for 11th Plan
* But the Ministry would now have only Rs
9,097 crore
* Ministry of Minority Affairs asked for Rs
1,100 cr but Govt allocates Rs 1,400 crore
* Centre earmarks total of Rs 7,000 crore
for minorities for 11th Plan
