By TCN News
New Delhi: Dr. Udit Raj, National President, Indian Justice Party and All India Confederation of SC/ST Organizations said that this budget has again cast gloom on Dalits. Rs. 4,500 crore have been allocated for the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment which will be utilized not only for the welfare of Dalits but also for the welfare and upliftment of backwards and senior citizens etc.
It has also been said that the scholarship amount to the students belonging to these categories would also be raised. The amount will also be utilized for the setting up a Sign Language Research and Training Centres etc. According to the Special Component Plan, the plan budget expenditure on Dalits should be in proportion to their population.
Dr. Udit Raj said that in the budget for 2010-2011, the total expenditure proposed in the budget is Rs. 11,08,749 crore in which the component of the plan expenditure is to the tune of Rs. 3,73,092 crore. According to the 2001 census, Dalit population is 16.4% of the total population of the country and the budget allocation for the Ministry of Social Justice and Employement should be increased from Rs. 4500 crore to Rs. 61,187 crore in proportion to the population of Dalits. Even if it is taken for granted there may be budget allocation for Dalits in other Ministries also, the combined allocation for Dalit welfare of all the Ministries will not be more than 5%. “It is a matter of great regret that budget allocation for Dalit upliftment has never been done even in the past in proportion to their population. If the total non-plan budget allocation of Rs. 7,36,657 crore is proportionately allocated to Dalits and Tribals, the ammount will really be many folds,” said Udit Raj.
“There is always a great emphasis in the budget for increasing revenue and expenditure but no serious attempts are made for proper management of funds. Late Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi had once said that, in effect, only 15% of the total money goes to the targeted people. Under these circumstances, emphasis should not only be on revenue and expenditure but also on implementation of the various schemes to ensure that the maximum benefit reaches to the targeted people and corruption is eliminated. If corruption is removed and even if 50% of the money is spent on the targeted people, then a great change can be brought in the rural areas and concerted efforts can be made to remove poverty from the country. If we could take care of these two points, then there would have been no need for increasing petrol and diesel prices. The increase in petrol and diesel prices is mainly due to wrong economic policies. It has indeed been a matter of great frustration that no concrete steps have been outlined in the budget for controlling price rise of essential commodities like cereals, edible oils, wheat, rice, vegetables etc. The much relief has been given to upper salaried people which was not warranted. The excise has been increased which will further escalate the price rise. Because of this, the tax burden will be passed on common people. Thus common people will be worst sufferers. In fact, the principal objective of this budget should have been to check price rise.”