JOIN USIn a majority of the city municipalities and town municipal councils, the utilisation of funds is under 40 per cent.
The tardy state of affairs in public institutions vis-a-vis improving the lot of the SC/ST communities has prompted the Social Welfare Department to seek the help of the Directorate of Civil Rights.
“We have asked the Directorate to inquire into the reasons for negligence by officers concerned when it comes to utilising funds for the welfare of the SC/STs. Based on their report, we will initiate disciplinary action against the erring officers,” Social Welfare Minister A Narayanaswamy told reporters in Bangalore on Thursday.
As per the existing policy, 22.75 per cent of the budgetary grants allotted to the departments should be utilised for the welfare of SC/STs. The minister said that during his inspection tours across the State, he found most municipalities were dilly-dallying over the allotment of title deeds to dalits residing in slums.
Narayanaswamy said he has convened a meeting of the CMC/TMC commissioners on June 20 to work out a strategy to expedite the process of title deed allotment.
Annual income limit
The minister said the department had proposed to increase the annual income limit for families to avail of the social security benefits from the present criteria of Rs 11,800 per annum to Rs 40,000 a year in rural areas and Rs 50,000 per annum in urban pockets.
He said the department was planning to extend the biometric system in social welfare hostels across the State to check malpractice.
This would help in checking wastage of funds.
The government was planning to open 25 new Morarji Desai Residential Schools and 25 new Kittur Rani Channamma Residential Schools this financial year, the minister said.