Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, July 27: All India Confederation of SC/ST/OBC Organisations state president R K Kalsotra has alleged that Union Government has played game with SC, ST categories and totally ignored them in the current Budget.
Talking to media-persons here today Kalsotra, who was flanked by Ramesh Sarmal, Dr Ramesh Kaith and Suraj Parkash said that in the recently announced Central and State Budget , for the first time, the Government of India has not made a separate provision, for (SCP) Special Component Plan) and Tribal Sub Plan (TSP). This is the first time that on the basis of the population which is 22.5% of SC/ST at National level, a separate budget of Rs 33000 crores should have been kept for the exclusive development for all over development of these communities.
” This time, Rs 44278 crore has been announced in the budget of 2024-25 for UT-Jammu Kashmir, in that too no separate provision has been made for SCP and TSP . On the basis of the 2011 census in Jammu Kashmir, the population of SC and ST is about 20%, so on that basis a separate budget of Rs 8855 crore should have been kept for the special development in the overall development of these communities.
Ever since the budget is being presented, the present Government has for the first time removed the names of SC/ST from the budget, to make sure that “neither the bamboo remains nor the flute is played,” he added.
Kalsotra further said that earlier Governments used to misuse and divert SCP and TSP funds of SC ST and opposition parties and SC /ST used to protest against the Government but the present Government has ended this fight. Now, whether the government spends some of the budget on the development of SC /ST or not, no one will blame the Government.
He demanded that Government should not discard the old practice of bifurcation of SCP & TSP & it should rectify and re-announce the share of SC/ST under SCP & TSP for their exclusive and all over development.
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