The National Commission for Scheduled Castes on Wednesday issued notice to the Congress government in Karnataka in connection with claims that it was diverting funds from the state’s Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes sub-plans to fund schemes under the party’s “five guarantees”, reported The Hindu.
The Congress had promised “five guarantees” to voters in its election manifesto ahead of the Assembly election last year. They included Rs 2,000 each month to women heads of families and 200 units of free electricity to all households.
On June 5, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah approved a plan to utilise funds allocated under the Karnataka Scheduled Castes Sub-Plan and the Tribal Sub-Plan to provide benefits under the five guarantee schemes, as well as others, to both communities, reported The Indian Express.
A meeting of the Council for SCs/STs Development chaired by the chief minister has allocated Rs 39,121.46 crore to implement the welfare programmes in 2024-’25.
However, it is not clear how much of the funds will be used to provide benefits for members of both communities, reported The Hindu.
On Wednesday, the National Commission for Scheduled Castes, in a letter to the state chief secretary, said that it had taken cognisance of news reports that Rs 14,730.53 crore allocated under the sub-plans had been repurposed to fund the five guarantees schemes, reported The Indian Express.
It directed the state government to submit a report on the matter within seven days.
In response to the notice, Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar said that whatever money the state government was spending on both communities was being done as per the law.
“It is a shame on the national [commission],” he said, according to The Indian Express. “After Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, we introduced the law in order to use the funds for the welfare of the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe communities. What is wrong with it?”
State Bharatiya Janata Party chief BY Vijayendra, however, said that diverting funds “meant for the uplift[ment] of Dalits for welfare schemes is not justified”.
“It is the responsibility of the state government to respond to the national commission,” he said. “We have protested against this move already. In the coming days, we will also protest inside the Assembly against the injustice meted out to Dalits,” he said.
The other three schemes promised by the Congress include 10 kilograms of free rice to all members of families living below the poverty line, free bus travel for women, Rs 3,000 per month to those who have been unemployed for up to two years after graduation and Rs 1,500 per month to unemployed diploma holders.
The unemployment allowance will given till the applicant finds a job or for a maximum of two years.
All five schemes have been implemented by the state government.
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