submitted by Satinath Choudhary, Delhi
We started gathering in the morning about 11 am and around three O’clock in the afternoon, we marched towards the Parliament, led by our own Parliamentarian Hon’ble Athavale Sahab, as far as the police let us go. We then had some speeches and concluded the rally by burning a replica of the new budget! The following memorandum of demands was submitted to the Prime Minister and Finance Minister:
SC/ST Budget Hissedari Andolan
(Movement for SC/ST Share in Budget)
c/o 36/12, 1st Floor, East Patel Nagar, New Delhi -110 008
To
Shri. Manmohan Singh
The Hon’ble Prime Minister
Government of India
South Block, Raisina Hill,
New Delhi,
India-110 011.
Telephone: 91-11-23012312.
Fax: 91-11-23019545 / 91-11-23016857.
Respected Sir,
Subject: Due Share in the Budgetary resources for SC/ST for inclusive growth – demands of the Dalit and other progressive movements – regarding
We were much encouraged when you announced the policy of the UPA Government as ‘Growth with Inclusion’! As the government is today presenting the Budget for 2008-2009, we are very disappointed that your promise seems to be a ‘mirage’ as the inclusion part is denied to the SCs, STs and Minorities.
We place the following facts for your action-
The government of India, in 1979-80 made it mandatory for all states to introduce a strategy called Special component Plan (SCP) which is renamed as Scheduled Castes Sub Plan (SCSP) for the socio-economic development of Dalits and Tribal Sub Plan (TSP) for the Scheduled Tribes. This Strategy entails targeted flow of funds and associated benefits from the annual plan of States/ Union Territories (UTs) at least in proportion to the SC and ST population i.e. 16.7 per cent and 8.2 per cent in the total population of the country/the particular state. A proper allocation under this provision for the past 25 years would have ensured poverty eradication among SCs and STs providing them with housing, quality physical infrastructure in their habitations, access to higher education, land for cultivation, employment in different levels and sectors and enterprise development among them. You are already aware that this was first directed by the Late Hon’ble Smt. Indira Gandhi, while she was the Prime Minister. This was also reiterated by your hon’ble self while you were the Member Secretary, Planning Commission in 1981 vide D.O. No. M – 13016/1/81 – CDN, Dt. 12 November 1981.
The continued concentration of poverty among SCs and STs is largely an outcome of the lack of budget allocation and implementation of the above provision. The budget allocation has in no year equaled the population proportion at the Union or State/UT budgets as mandated. To take an example, the total budget allocation under Plan Expenditure for the year 2007-2008 is Rs.205100 crore and under the SCSP the Government of India should have allocated Rs.32816 crore exclusively for SCs (16 percent of the total plan budget). As against this only Rs.12535.75 crore has been allocated or in other words SCs have been deprived of Rs.20280.25 crore in a single year. Only 6 Ministries /Departments have allocated funds In the Union Budget 2007-08 under the SCSP, 9 Ministries/Departments have made some notional allocation and remaining 49 Ministries/Departments do not even mention any SCSP allocation. A rough calculation of the funds not spent for Dalits for the last 27 years runs to 8.5 Lakh crore. Similar is the case with all State Governments.
In addition, it is also seen that the purpose and spirit of the provision for improving SC individuals and families are not ensured and allocations made under general community development measures. The economic limit on SCs and STs for accessing affirmative action is another limitation in this line. Where there is a need for increasing the stakehold of SCs and STs in the growing and diverse economic arena of higher and new forms of knowledge and private sector, the economic criteria for affirmative action prevents young Dalits from accessing higher education and employment in emerging arena, limiting them permanently to low end education and employment. All these have contributed to the large section of Dalit and tribal populations continuing to live substandard lives and the growing inequalities among SCs and STs and other communities.
National Campaign on Dalit Human Rights (NCDHR), Rashtriya Shoshit Parishad and various Dalit and other progressive organizations are engaged in tracking the budget allocation and implementation and taking up consultations to demand appropriate measures by the state and create awareness among SC community.
We therefore demand
We the Concerned Citizens, Peoples Representatives, Academicians, Leaders of Dalit Organizations, Dalit Rights Activists, Employees Associations, Student Organizations protest the Union governments attitude to the Scheduled castes in the Budgetary matters. We demand serious implementation of the SC/ST Sub-Plan in the Union Budget and demand for reclaiming the Dalit Share in the Union Budget. We further resolve that:
1. The Union Government releases a white paper on the implementation of the SCSP (SCP) and TSP since its initiation.
2. Union Budget 2008-09 must have 16.7 per cent proportion of the total budget, plan and non-plan towards SCSP and 8.2 per cent for TSP. This must be reflected in all the ministries with clear conceived schemes for individual and family benefits of SCs and STs.
3. There should be a separate Ministry for development of SCs – ‘Ministry of Progression of Scheduled Castes’ both at the Centre as well as States/UTs for the welfare and development of SCs. The Ministries should have the necessary expertise primarily drawn from SCs and STs who will advise the 69 ministries/departments for innovating inclusive programmes.
4. The unspent provisions, if any, in any sector should not lapse, but automatically be credited to a Revolving Fund.
5. Women contribute equally in all economic spheres. Budgetary allocations therefore in proportion to the population of women in all areas to be made in a special way. Special focus to be made on Entrepreneurship, Health, Education, Skill Development, Land and Resource management and Social Security of Women.
6. We demand an Equal Opportunities Commission as well as Equal Opportunity Laws & Anti-Discrimination Laws in labour, land, capital, consumer goods, education, housing and other sectors of the economy. Anti-discrimination laws also need to address discrimination in hiring and wage payments in private agriculture, in sale and purchase of agriculture land and leasing of land, renting of houses to Dalits and discrimination in space for construction of houses in the residential areas dominated by dominant castes.
7. We demand the Group of Ministers to evolve a clear policy for providing and implementing Reservation in the Private Sector as otherwise, there will not be equity and inclusion of SCs and STs in the growing economy of the country.
8. There needs to be reservation in Defence Services, Judiciary, and similar services where at present there is no provision of reservation.
9. We demand that SCs and STs are included into the growing and diverse economy at all levels irrespective of their income levels. The present income ceiling for affirmative action to SCs and STs prevent them from progressively increasing and improving their participation in the economy and limit them permanently to the lower ends in education, skill up-gradation and employment.
10. Credit is a critical aspect which nurtures enterprise and growth and it has to be anti-discriminatory. The Private Sector banks and financial institutions need to have a certain proportion in lending and finance to Dalits/Adivasis business.
11. The government should create a ‘pool of state land’ which should be acquired under ceiling and other public land like waste land, free of legal problems, to be placed under the control of a specific authority. This land from the ‘State common land pool’ should be distributed to the landless Dalits/Adivasi households as compensation for denial of right to land.
We Place these demands at your hon’ble self for immediate action.
Thanking you,
Sincerely,
Jai Bhagavan Jatav N. Paul Divakar
Rashtriya Shoshit Parishad National Campaign on Dalit Human Rights
Swami Nath Dr. Mahendra Pratap Rana
National Forum for Social Action Buddha Smriti Santhan
Asha Ram Gautam T.M Kumar
Prabuddha Bharti International Baba Saheb Ambedkar Society
Dr. Satinath Chowdhary Dhara Singh
Think Tank for Progressive Action All India SC/ST/OBC & EBC Federation
& Legislation
Anand Rao
Delhi SC/ST Welfare Association, Andhra Bhawan