SC/ST fund diversion: Siddaramaiah slams BJP govt

Karnataka Leader of the Opposition Siddaramaiah on Thursday attacked the BJP government over ‘diversion’ of SC/ST funds towards infrastructure.

Siddaramaiah was responding to DH’s report on the government spending Rs 7,885.32 crore under Scheduled Castes Sub-Plan and Tribal Sub-Plan (SCSP-TSP) on drainage repair, drinking water, irrigation and other civil works.

Successive governments have used SC/ST funds for infrastructure projects.

“The BJP government has betrayed Dalits and Scheduled Tribes by diverting the funds of Schedule Caste Sub-Plan and Tribal Sub-Plan funds for infrastructure projects, which is against the provisions of the Act,” Siddaramaiah said in a statement.

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Siddaramaiah was the chief minister when the Karnataka Scheduled Castes Sub-Plan and Tribal Sub-Plan (Planning, Allocation and Utilisation of Financial Resources) Act was introduced. This law requires the government to spend 24.1 per cent of its total budget on SC/ST welfare: 17.15 per cent for SCs and 6.95 per cent for STs.

“The government has violated the provisions of the Act to divert Rs 7,885 crore for the infrastructure development. This is against the law and I urge the CM of Karnataka to take action against the officers who have violated these provisions,” Siddaramaiah said.

“Rs 7885.32 crore of the total funds allocated to SCSP-TSP funds in four years between 2018 and 2021 were spent on irrigation, urban development and RDPR infrastructure projects. This has reduced the funds for welfare schemes for SCs & STs,” the Congress leader said. “Though there are provisions to allocate some amount for general infrastructure projects, the quantum of funds diverted is huge and is against the law,” he said.

According to Siddaramaiah, unused sub-plan funds should be carried over and spent during the next financial year. “If the funds allocated for a specific purpose under this Act are not used for that purpose, the concerned officer can be punished as per the Act,” he pointed out.

Siddaramaiah, who holds the record of presenting 13 budgets, said only Rs 7,200 crore was allocated to the welfare of SCs and STs in 2012-13. “This was increased to Rs 15,832 crore by 2014-15. In the 2018 February budget, Rs 29,691 crore was allocated for SCSP-TSP,” he said. “But since the BJP came to power, the funds for SCSP-TSP have been reduced, though the budget has increased,” he said.

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