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Govt to revise guidelines for better allocation of funds for SC & ST: Rao Inderjit

September 22, 2020

Government will soon revise guidelines for better allocation and efficient utilization of funds for scheduled castes and scheduled tribes, planning minister Rao Inderjit Singh said in response to a written question in Rajya Sabha.

Some of the proposals under consideration include giving flexibility to ministries and departments to allocate funds for SCs and STs for specific activities within their overall budget, in case their existing schemes are not amenable to or do not have the scope for any such activities for SCs and STs.

Besides, percentage of earmarking should not be less than 50% of the population proportion or as decided by the task force or actuals whichever is higher. Even, diversification of fund within the budget head shall be allowed subject to conditions could be allowed under the revised guidelines.

According to minister Singh, the earlier system of planning has been discontinued and there has been a merger of plan and non-plan expenditure with effect from 2017-18. �In the changed system of budgeting, there is a need for clarity regarding new arrangements for earmarking of funds for SCs and STs in their budgets by the concerned central ministries and departments,� he said.