Transparency in fund use key to tribal growth

Tribal Sub Plan (TSP) should be governed by a legal framework and all activities of the Government should be fully integrated with proper financial provision and monitoring mechanism under the scheme for the development of tribals in the State, stated speakers at a consultation on ‘Tacking of implementation of Tribal Sub- Plan for good governance in tribal areas’ here.  

It was organised by the National Centre for Advocacy Studies (NCAS), Pune, where tribal MlAs, activists, civil society organisations and researchers participated. A bilingual booklet on status and implementation of the TSP in State was released.

The speakers took a serious view of the diversion of the TSP funds for non-TSP purposes. Citing the observation of the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) in the past couple of years, the speakers said that the State Government repeatedly diverting the TSP funds is a clear violation of the guidelines.  

An analysis of budget allocation for TSP within the State plan indicates that many departments have failed miserably in allocating funds for the TSP as per the proportion of tribal population (21.13 per cent) of the State. The departments are also not efficient in spending the modest allocation, they lamented.

The guidelines issued by the Planning Commission for formulation of the TSP were not followed in letter and spirit, said former Finance Minister Panchanan Kanungo.

Balliguda MlA Karendra Majhi shared that the Andhra Pradesh Government had enacted a special law to ensure adequate provisioning and monitoring of the utilisation of the TSP fund and urged for a similar enactment in Odisha examining its pros and cons to ensure better development of the tribals.

Former MlA of Boisinga Kandra Soren said that there should be a single line administration for TSP areas like Andhra Pradesh.

Under Section 4 of the PESA, specific powers are given to the Gram Sabhas to control tribal area sub plans. But in practice, there is no involvement of the Gram Sabha. 

No sincere effort has been made by the Government to develop a strategy involving tribals in planning, executing and monitoring the TSP funds for their development, said NCAS programme officer, Pune Sandeep Patnaik. He also said that unless the Gram Sabha is vested with power to decide on the TSP funds at local level, the bureaucracy will continue to overpower the system.

Raghunath Sahoo, first research officer who lead the tribal sub-plan, said that to realise the spirit and proper implementation of the TSP, sensitive and committed officers should be appointed for a considerable period. He also emphasised on creation of special administrators in similar line like Revenue Divisional Commissioner (RDC) to monitor the TSP funds.

TSP funds are to be used for schemes and programmes that accrue direct benefits to the tribal, either individually or as a community, said tribal rights activists Sricharan Behera. The manipulation made by the bureaucracy in taking decision of diversion of the TSP funds is indeed suppressing the democratic institutions and processes in implementation of the funds, he opined.

The speakers strongly recommended for preparation of a draft TSP and SCSP Bill to provide legal mandate to the TSP and its governance, undertake a study on TSP allocation and expenditure among Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups, planning, monitoring and utilisation of the TSP funds by Gram Sabha at the local levels, among others.