Govt clarification on fund cut for Dalits

RESPONDING TO the Hindustan Times story titled, ?Funds for Dalits cut in State plan?, the State Government has clarified ?the reduction in plan outlay for elementary education in the State plan is because in the plan of 2006-07 the expenditure of school education for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes and other beneficiary- oriented schemes has been shown separately whereas it was shown combined in the last year?s plan of 2005-06?.

RESPONDING TO the Hindustan Times story titled, ‘Funds for Dalits cut in State plan’, the State Government has clarified “the reduction in plan outlay for elementary education in the State plan is because in the plan of 2006-07 the expenditure of school education for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes and other beneficiary- oriented schemes has been shown separately whereas it was shown combined in the last year’s plan of 2005-06”.

HT Image

The release issued by a joint director, Public Relations, however, admits that the amount meant for welfare of Scheduled Castes/Scheduled Tribes under the pool funds has been reduced drastically.

There are several figures mentioned in the story, which are not germane to the HT story and create some confusion. The release also claimed that total plan outlay of Scheduled Tribes and Scheduled Castes increased for the next fiscal.

Even assuming the figures of DPR as true, the hike in the total plan is almost same as the previous year. In fact, growth in the plan for Scheduled Castes is reduced a bit.

The Government machinery held a series of sessions on Friday for proving the HT story wrong in view of the forthcoming assembly session . But even after jugglery of figures the Government has failed to address the basic question as to why it did not provide funds to the Scheduled Castes/Scheduled Tribes as per their population ratio.