The Union Budget 2016-2017 has made a few special schemes such as Stand up India and Vanabandhu Kalyan Yojana. The marginalised sections including Dalits, Adivasies, OBCs, minorities and women of the country, who are also featured as rural and urban poor and habitants of backward regions, have been lagging behind in every aspect of human development and need special attention for building inclusive development and sustainable growth.
In the context of continued economic reform initiatives, the welfare and development of the marginalized sections need adequate State protection. There has been practice of building special components such as Scheduled Caste Sub Plan (SCSP) and Tribal Sub Plan (TSP) since 1979 and in the recent years, practice of gender and child budgeting to make the Budget more inclusive.
The Budget allocation of 2016-2017 shows separate components that include the scheme with allocation of Rs90,626 crore for welfare of women, Rs65,758 crore for welfare of children, umbrella scheme for development of minorities (Rscrore) and Scheduled Caste Sub Plan (SCSP) across all Ministries (Rs38,833 crore) and Scheduled Tribe Sub Plan (TSP) across all Ministries (Rs24,005 crore).
While our nation is paying tribute to Babasaheb Dr BR Ambedker on his 125th birth anniversary, this year should be the year of economic empowerment of SCs and STs, said the Finance Minister. The Prime Minister of India said the Dalits and the Adivasies now want to become entrepreneurs. He/she does not want to be a job seeker rather a job creator. Stand up India Scheme has been introduced with Cabinet approval of Rs500 crore to promote entrepreneurship among SCs, STs and women. It will bring benefit to at least Rs2.5 lakh entrepreneurs. It is proposed by the Finance Minister to constitute a national SC and ST Hub with Ministry of Small and Medium Enterprise (MSME) in partnership with industry associations and Dalit Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DICCI) to provide professional support to interested SC and ST entrepreneurs of the country to fulfil obligations under Central Government procurement policy of 2012. Earlier, the Central Government has made provision of venture capital for SC and ST entrepreneurs. The Government had announced amendment in procurement policies under which 4 per cent of the overall order by the Government and public sector undertakings is to be sourced from SC and ST entrepreneurs. DICCI’s founder and Chairman Milind Kamble has appreciated the move of the Government by provisioning this in the Budget while many others have expressed doubt over its implementation considering the very insignificant presence of SC and ST entrepreneurs and the continued unfavorable business culture for SCs and STs of the country. Along with resourcelessness, they continue to face social discrimination in business and industry sector.
The Ministry of Tribal Affairs has allocated Rs4,800 crore. Vanbandhu Kalyana Yojana(VKY) has been set up with Rs504.78 crore as an umbrella scheme for development of STs along with Rs1,505.22 crore for tribal education, Rs140 crore for tribal institutions, Rs1,250 crore special Central assistance to TSP and Rs1,400 crore under Article 275(1) for development of the Adivasies in scheduled area. The
Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment has allocated Rs6,500 crore for SC welfare out of which Rs800 crore is allocated for special Central assistance to SCSP along with allocation Rs2,791 crore for post matric scholarship. It is being protested that the provision of SCSP and TSP has been violated in the NDA -II Budget. It is argued that as per the provision out of total Budget Rs19. 78 lakh crore, there should be 16.8 per cent for SCs and 8.8 per cent for STs, as per their total population, allocated under SCSP and TSP but only Rs38,833 crore for SCSP and Rs24,005 crore for TSP have been allocated and a total amount of Rs75,764 crore has been denied by violating the provision. It will impact over the public spending for SCs and STs in the country. The States such as Odisha having 40 per cent of SC and ST population and 44 per cent of scheduled areas are among the major losers of Central assistance. Odisha is heavily dependent on Central assistance to run many of its schemes and programmes for the marginalised will bear the burden of managing such schemes out of its own resources. The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) in its report many times pointed out the issues of diversion and underutilisation of funds in schemes specially targeted for SCs and STs. Many States including Odisha are not following the provision of SCSP and TSP in the State Budget though they are getting special Central assistance to SCSP and TSP under the provision.
The Government of Odisha has no such special scheme benefiting the SCs of the State. There is no awareness among MlAs and MPs belonging to SC and ST communities to raise this issue in respective legislative forums having their membership. The ST and SC Development Department being the nodal department should have a proactive role in making the SCSP and TSP a reality in the State but lack of political will has encouraged bureaucratic apathy to the cause of SCs and STs. There has been felt need of awareness about various schemes and programmes among the marginalised sections in rural areas and to motivate them to access the schemes for their development. It is found that many of the beneficiaries are facing problems with local Government officials who lack transparency and accountability in discharging their duty for the poor while looking after the implementation of the schemes.
The vast majority of marginalised sections are not only poor but mostly illiterate, unorganised and face different forms of social discrimination, dominance and subjugation. So it is suggested that along with Government, the Panchyatiraj Institutions and civil society organisations of the marginalised should play a catalyst role in promoting the organisation of the marginalised for realisation of their economic rights. Along with Budget of the MSJE, MoTA and Ministry of Minorities and Ministry of Women and Child Development and provisions of SCSP, TSP, there are a host of other schemes which are very relevant to the development of the marginalised such as MGNREGS with Rs38,500 crore, ICDS with Rs16,120, National Social Assistance Programme Rscrore, SSA Rs22,500 crore, Mid-day Meal Rs9,700 crore, Gram Jyoti Yojana Rs8,500 crore which targets 100 per cent village electrification by May 2018 and many other schemes. There is also provision in the Budget with Rs2,000 crore for lPG connection scheme in the name of women of BPl families and it is planned to cover around five crore BPl households in the coming years that targets for universal coverage of cooking gas which will benefit mostly the poor among the marginalised sections. It will have impact over food preparation in family, health of women and generate employment for youth in rural areas. This year Budget focuses more on agriculture and rural development with significant allocation that will have affirmative impact over marginalised sections in rural area engaged in agriculture sector but it is found that most of the agricultural schemes are land based which will not be helpful for the landless poor, agricultural workers and sharecroppers in rural area.
The rural infrastructure being created out of State fund is not being accessed by all social groups due to discriminatory practices by dominant groups. So it is suggested that the SCSP and TSP funds should have land distribution scheme for the rural poor that includes homestead and agriculture land for agriculture based livelihood. Along with land, credit, education and skill development should be combined to facilitate the development of the marginalised.
The banks and educational institutions, while delivering their service, must have to ensure credit and quality education. It will boost Green, White and Blue revolutions in the country through sharing of Budget with the marginalised. The special component provisions of the Budget should be implemented seriously to meet the desired objective of building inclusiveness to ensure growth with equality.
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