Soon, Punjab Cabinet to take up Bill on budget for SC welfare schemes

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, July 29

Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh on Thursday gave the go-ahead for putting a new Bill before the Cabinet which will earmark a part of the state’s annual Budget for the welfare of the Scheduled Castes in proportion to their population in the state.

Earmarking funds as per population

• New Bill that will be taken up before the Cabinet will focus on earmarking a part of the state’s annual Budget for the welfare of the Scheduled Castes in proportion to their population in the state
• The Chief Minister said the Bill reiterates his government’s commitment to the socio-economic and educational development of the SC population in the state.

This is one of the demands raised by the MLAs of the ruling party, belonging to the Scheduled Castes and backward classes. This was also discussed by the Congress high command with the Chief Minister and he was asked to implement it, considering that nearly 32 per cent of the voters in the state are Dalits.

The ‘Punjab State Welfare and Development of Scheduled Castes (Planning, Earmarking and Utilization of Financial Resources) Sub-Allocation Bill, 2021’ will also enable the government to put in place an institutional mechanism to formulate and monitor the implementation of the Scheduled Caste Sub Plan (SCSP), and matters connected with it. An SCSP plan already exists and 30 per cent of the budget is to be allocated for the welfare of SCs and STs. But generally the target is never met.

The legislation, when passed in the Assembly, will provide the state government a platform to ensure the overall development of Scheduled Castes through effective implementation of various welfare schemes under SCSP.

An official spokesperson said the Directorate of Scheduled Castes Sub Plan would be the nodal agency to ensure formulation of SCSP, besides monitoring its implementation. The authority competent to approve State Annual Budget estimates would also accord approval to the SCSP simultaneously with the State Annual Budget of the relevant financial year, before submitting it to the Punjab Vidhan Sabha. There would be a single mechanism for flow of funds under SCSP, and the Finance Department would remain the controlling authority for this purpose.

The progress of SCSP would be reviewed and monitored at state, district and block levels, as per procedure and by the Committee as prescribed. Each department shall ensure transparency and accountability at all levels in the implementation of the SCSP.

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