By Rajeev Ranjan Roy, IANS
New Delhi : In an effort to boost welfare schemes for scheduled castes (SCs) in India, the Planning Commission will set up a social cell to independently monitor special component plan (SCP) programmes aimed at raising this category above the poverty line.
The cell would become operational in fiscal 2008-09. At present, no such exclusive mechanism exists, though the plan panel earmarks 15 percent of the total plan funds given to any state and central ministry to be spent on the economic empowerment of SCs under SCP.
A highly placed government source said the decision to create the social cell was taken during a recent meeting of Planning Commission secretary Subas Pani with members of the National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC), the country’s apex constitutional body for safeguarding the interests of SCs.
“The SCP’s basic objective to raise SCs above the poverty line will be defeated if the central government does not get serious about the implementation of the programmes. We were persistently demanding the creation of a social cell for monitoring all SCP programmes in the Planning Commission,” said Mrityunjay Nayak, a member of the NCSC.
“It was only last week that Pani attended the NCSC meeting in which all of its members and other senior officials were present. Pani has accepted our demand. Since the SCP funds are released at the recommendation of the plan panel, it can certainly ensure optimum utilisation of funds,” Nayak, a former MP from Orissa, added.
The SCP came into being in 1979 with a view to achieving overall development of SCs and scheduled tribes (STs), and raising them above the poverty line.
The poverty line is currently pegged at the monthly per capita expenditure of Rs.327.56 ($8.3) in rural areas, and Rs.454.11 ($11.5) in urban areas.
“The poor execution of SCP programmes has not yielded desired results. According to the National Sample Survey Organisation (NSSO) report for 2004-05, 36.8 percent SCs in rural areas are still living below the poverty line, while in the urban areas it is 39.9 percent,” Nayak said.
“There is a decrease of 11.3 percent in the rural SC population (below the poverty line) compared to 48.1 percent in 1993-94. The pace at which the SCs are rising above the poverty line is not satisfying.”
The plan panel would also consult the SC commission for effective implementation of other central and state government welfare programmes for self-employment, special educational development and constructing hostels.