SC and ST Special Development Fund : Vanam Jwala Narasimha Rao

SC and ST Special Development Fund

Vanam Jwala Narasimha Rao

Government of Telangana on 13^th September 2017, framed rules for the Telangana State Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST) Special Development Fund (SDF) for planning, allocation and utilization. These are framed to ensure, accelerated development of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes with emphasis on achieving equality, focusing on economic, educational and human development along with ensuring the security and social dignity and promoting equity among the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. This is made possible by earmarking a portion, in proportion to population of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in the State, of the total Pragathipaddu outlay of the State of Telanagana as the outlay of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Special Development Fund of the State. This is done to ensure effective institutional mechanisms for the implementation and for matters connected there with or incidental thereto.

The Nodal Departments for SCSDF and STSDF will identify gaps in development. Each department will estimate the gaps in the development of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, prioritize their development needs through a consultative process and formulate and prepare the schemes for Development of SCs and STs within the State Pragathipaddu priorities.

The Nodal Departments will take up necessary measures to identify the gaps in levels of development of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes and general Population and within Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes as well as between tribes living in scheduled areas and plain areas. Database will be built up on Census data and other gap studies data of research institutes from time to time on key indicators, including demographic, health related, education related, area development, economic development and social gaps.

Baseline surveys have been specifically designed and taken up for this purpose through reputed institutions. Surveys taken up by various departments such as School Education, Medical and Health etc. on various indicators, and reputed NGOs like Centre for Dalit Studies are considered. Studies of impact of various projects implemented for the development of SCs and STs will be taken note of.

The government will earmark SC SDF, and ST SDF from State Annual Pragathipaddu Schemes Outlays. The State Government, in every financial year shall respectively earmark not less than the percent of SC & ST Population of the total State Annual Pragathipaddu Outlay to SCSDF and STSDF and allocate to finance SCSDF and STSDF, in proportion to their respective populations as per the latest data of Population Census.

In every financial year, the Planning Department shall communicate the tentative size of the outlay of the annual Pragathipaddu of next financial year and the priorities of the State of Telangana to the Nodal Departments. The SCSDF and STSDF outlays shall be revised according to final Pragathipaddu annual outlay.

The Departments authorized by the Government will, every financial year communicate to the other departments, a provisional outlay out of the SCSDF and STSDF as earmarked for respective department wise schemes for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. A tentative Pragathipaddu outlay fund will be prepared by the Nodal departments of SCSDF and STSDF, duly following the provisions of the Act.

The departments will prepare SCSDF and STSDF to promote equity in the development among various social groups within Scheduled Castes/ Scheduled Tribes and focused development of back ward Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribe habitations. In case of Scheduled Tribes Special Development Fund special attention will be paid to Scheduled Tribes residing in the Scheduled Areas.

The Special Development Funds of the departments will include only such schemes that have the potential to bridge the gaps in development and secure direct and quantifiable benefits to the SC, ST individuals or SC, ST households or SC, ST habitations or Tribal areas and Primitive Tribal Groups.

For the schemes exclusively benefitting SC, ST individuals or SC, ST households or SC, ST habitations, 100% of scheme cost will be allocated and accounted for under SCSDF or STSDF, as the case may be. In case of other habitations, the cost will be allocated and accounted in proportion of the population of the SC, STs. For the general schemes, included in the Special Development Fund, benefitting SC, ST individuals or SC, ST households, along with others, the scheme cost shall be allocated and accounted for under SCSDF and STSDF, as per the SC, ST beneficiaries covered. With respect to non-divisible infrastructure works, a portion of the scheme cost as may be determined by the Government will be deemed to have been attributed for SCSDF and STSDF respectively.

The Special Development Funds of the departments will ensure coverage of SC, STs in the ongoing general schemes consistent with the eligibility of the same. In case of non-divisible infrastructure works 7% for SCs and 3% for STs of the scheme cost shall be accounted in the allocation and expenditure of SCSDF and STSDF respectively.

The department will Identify SCSDF and STSDF schemes and preparation of Special Development Funds. The Nodal Departments will take up a detailed discussion every year with each department for which SCSDF/STSDF outlays are communicated and review each scheme and identify only those schemes that secure direct and quantifiable benefits to the SC/ST individuals or SC/ST households or SC/ST habitations or scheduled areas and that have potential to bridge the gaps in socio-economic development of   SCs/STs with   particular focus on education, income generation and access to basic amenities confirming to certain quality norms.

Prioritization will be done based on the development needs of the SC, STs in consultation with the primary stakeholders, before finalizing the schemes. Schemes will be designed in such a way that they have the potential to accelerate the development of SC, STs and bridge the gaps in development in a time bound manner. Schemes will secure greater access to educational institutions, health facilities, of Irrigated land, promotion of Self-employment Schemes and enterprise development to SC, STs.

The Special Development Fund of the departments will promote equity in the development among various social groups within SC, STs and focused development of backward SC, ST habitations. In case of STSDF, attention will be paid to Scheduled Tribes residing in the Scheduled Areas. Schemes will be aligned with over all State Agenda or Priorities of the Government, priority also will be given for infrastructure such as construction of Residential School Buildings, Hostels’ Buildings, Community Halls, Ambedkar Vikas kendras and other works pertaining to community related civic works in the SC/ST habitations in the basic sectors as Education, Health and Social Sector etc. as per the gaps identified.

Each Department will prepare budget proposals of SCSDF and STSDF for appraisal by the Nodal departments. After identifying the schemes under SCSDF/STSDF, the Nodal Department will define the operational scope of each scheme, viz., whether it is limited to scheduled areas or to the entire state and the proportion in which the physical and financial targets to be distributed district wise. The Nodal Department will in turn scrutinize the schemes furnished by the line departments and after satisfying that they are in tune with the provisions of the Act, shall place them before Nodal Agency, for recommending for approval of the State Council through Planning Department.

The schemes that fulfill the norms laid down in the Act will be recommended by Nodal Agency for Scheduled Castes Development and Tribal Welfare for inclusion in the Annual Budget proposals of the departments and aggregated for placing before the State Council for Development of SCs and STs, for consideration and approval as pre-budget process. After receiving the approval of the State Council, the Nodal Agency for SCSDF/STSDF will communicate the approval to the departments with request to furnish their budget proposals for the next financial year as per the schedule and procedure to be communicated by the Finance Department from time to time.

Once the budget is approved by the Legislature, the Secretary Finance Department will issue necessary sanctions in respect of those schemes where the performance of the department is not found satisfactory, the Nodal Departments will take up a detailed appraisal and identify the impediments.

If any amount of Special Development Fund remains unspent, it will be compensated in the next financial year in the same proportion on the reach of actual expenditure to total budget estimate of Pragathipaddu at the end of a financial year in the manner prescribed.