AP fails to spend funds meant for SCs and STs

Hyderabad, Dec. 22: The state is lagging behind in spending the mandatory percentage of funds for Scheduled Castes and Tribes.

Though the Planning Commission wanted the states to spend 16.2 per cent of the budget for SCs and 6.6 per cent for STs under the sub plan of each department, the government found that in several departments the expenditure is on paper only.

Official sources said the government allotted Rs 6,551 crore under the sub plan for the two categories out of which only Rs 900 crore was spent so far. Considering the financial constraints and three months remaining for the financial year to end, the officials were apprehensive that the spending would not be more than Rs 2,000 crore.

“In the previous financial year also the government spent only Rs 3,600 crore out of the allocated Rs 7,740 crore,” said Mr K. Suresh Kumar, founder president of Dalita Sadhikarika. Despite clear instructions, the departments did not sent the expenditure details to the apex committee on SC, ST sub plan, he added.

The state government is considering a major administrative reform to empower the apex committee to decide the spending pattern of funds meant for the two categories.