Are our ministers in the cabinet aware of it

By Mohinder Verma

GNS JAMMU, : Notwithstanding the explicit directions from the Planning Commission of India, the preparation of separate sub-plans for the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes population of the State has got delayed and State Government may not be able to submit the same to the Commission during the forthcoming discussions over the next Annual Plan as well as 12th Five Year Plan.

Official sources told that during the discussions over J&K's Annual Plan for the current financial year, the Planning Commission of India, had directed the State Government to prepare separate Tribal Sub Plan and Schedule Caste Sub Plan as per the guidelines so that complaints regarding inadequate funds for the SC and ST population could be addressed and utmost transparency is ensured in the flow of funds from the State Annual Plan for SCs and STs in proportionate to their population.

Following the Planning Commission directions, the Planning and Development Department of the State assigned the task of preparing separate sub-plans to the Social Welfare Department, sources said while disclosing that despite taking several steps, the Social Welfare Department could not make any progress vis-à-vis formulation of sub-plans.

As there was no head-way in implementing its directions, the Planning Commission again asked the State Government following which the task was entrusted to the Economics and Statistics Organization, a wing of the Planning and Development Department, sources said, adding while issuing formal orders in this regard in the month of November 2011, the Planning and Development Department even submitted guidelines of the Planning Commission of India to the Economics and Statistics Organization, which were required to be adopted while formulating sub-plans for the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.

It is pertinent to mention here that the Planning Commission guidelines state that the funds in proportionate to Schedule Castes and Schedule Tribes population should flow to the SC Sub Plan and ST Sub Plan out of the Annual State Plan in those areas, pockets, hamlets and villages where their population is 50 per cent and above by identifying specific schemes and beneficiary oriented programmes, sources said.

Initially, the Economics and Statistics Organization vigorously initiated steps for formulation of sub-plans by holding meetings of CPOs, DSEOs and Planning Officers working with the Head of Departments and issuing directions for submitting sectoral plans for the current financial year but later the exercise was abruptly stopped, sources said.

"At present, no exercise is being conducted with regard to preparation of sub-plans for the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes and it seems that State Government would not be able to submit the same to the Planning Commission during the forthcoming discussions over the next Annual Plan as well as 12th Five Year Plan", they said, adding "the inordinate delay in submitting sub-plans to the Planning Commission will not only invite criticism of the latter but also give an impression that State Government authorities are not competent to accomplish the task of preparing sub-plans besides raising doubts about the intentions of the State Government in ensuring utmost transparency in the utilization of the funds for the SCs and STs proportionate to their population".

Since the elected representatives of SC and ST population always allege inadequate and delay in the release of funds for this population from the Annual State Plan, the issue of delay in formulation and submission of sub-plans is likely to storm the forthcoming session of the State Legislature.

When contacted, Director, Economics and Statistics, B R Lachotra said, "we have collected data from the CPOs, DSEOs and Planning Officers but for the fine tuning of the same we need services of the consultants for which Planning and Development Department has been approached", adding "we have not received any information from the Secretariat as to whether new consultant would be engaged or those who have already been engaged for the preparation of 12th Five Year Plan proposal would look after this aspect also".