In the wake of the National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC) communication seeking details of the alleged Tamil Nadu Government’s purportedly planning to fund part of Rs 7,000 crores for its flagship scheme, it has now been, unconfirmed sources say, put on hold.
The Kalaignar Magalir Urimai Thogai Thittam (Kalaignar women’s rights grant) scheme is set to be launched on September 15, on the birth anniversary of former Chief Minister and DMK party founder CN Annadurai. It is one of the 500-odd poll promises the DMK alliance made before the 2021 state Assembly elections. It promised financial assistance of Rs 1,000 per month to all women family heads in Tamil Nadu if the party was voted to power in the April 6, 2021, assembly elections. Much to the people’s disappointment, it would now be given only to eligible women and issued guidelines to be eligible for the scheme.
The DMK Government’s flagship scheme ensuring a basic minimum income of Rs 1,000 per month for eligible women heads of families was inaugurated by Chief Minister MK Stalin a few days back. The forms are being distributed through fair-price shops.
The guidelines for the scheme’s implementation were issued and notified on July 10, in a Government Order. In that go, it was stated that the expenditure for the scheme for the current financial year should be met from funds allocated under the heads like social security and welfare, women’s welfare, social welfare and special component plan for Scheduled Caste (SC) , among others.
The scheme has received heavy criticism for naming the women’s rights programme after the late leader M Karunanidhi and for the eligibility criteria returning to its poll promise.
Tamil Nadu BJP State President Annamalai’s accusations from last year have resurfaced, alleging the DMK Government. In the statement released by K Annamalai, he said that the Central Government has been allocating huge amounts of funds to the states every year to develop Scheduled Castes. Every year, several thousand crores of funds are given to the States to implement Central Government schemes to benefit the people of the SC communities.
In this situation, out of the funds allocated for the Scheduled Castes Sub-Plan (SCSP) scheme, Rs 2900 crores remain unused since the previous regime (2016-2021), and during the DMK rule from 2021-2022, the Government has not spent Rs 2418 crores out of the allocated as reported by the English daily The Indian Express. Annamalai said that he was shocked to hear that the Tamil Nadu government had not spent Rs 10,466 crores out of the Rs 16,442 crores allocated by the Central Government to the brothers and sisters of Scheduled Caste communities in Tamil Nadu as per the information till December 2023. The TN BJP said that many basic needs like educational rehabilitation schemes, employment opportunities, libraries, and student hostels were not fulfilled. He said, “The complete non-utilisation of the allocated funds shows the ruling Government’s cowardice and gross indifference towards the backward sections of the society”.
He said that some of the problems faced by Tamil Nadu Scheduled brothers and sisters daily are due to a lack of sufficient staff in the State Scheduled Tribes Commission and the inadequate allocation of funds from the state Government.
Seeman, the chief coordinator of Naam Tamilar Katchi (NTK), also questioned the involvement of former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Karunanidhi in the Rs 1,000 Urimai Thogai scheme for women, stating, “What authority does Kalaignar have over this scheme?” In this background, NCSC has issued a notice to the DMK Government over a complaint alleging that the state government was purportedly planning to divert part of the fund Rs.7,000crore for its flagship scheme (for the financial year 2023-24) from funds allocated under the SC Sub plan.
Notably, the DMK Government’s announcement of a Rs 7000 crore allocation in the budget 2023-24 for the Monthly Assistance Scheme for Women sparked outrage from all sides, as the money would not be enough to fulfil the DMK Government’s election promise of assisting with all 2.2 crore ration cards. While announcing this in the State Assembly in his budget speech, the then Financial Minister PTR Palanivel Thiagarajan claimed, “It shall be a “game changer in the socio-economic life of women of the State”.
R Anbuvendhan, State general secretary, lIndhiya Kudiyarasu Katchi (Republican Party of India), Tamil Nadu, sent a complaint to the NCSC on July 27, pointing out the diversion of funds. He alleged, “this went against the guidelines, rules, and regulations of the Central Government of the Special Central Assistance to Scheduled Castes Sub Plan”.
Of the annual state plan allocation of Rs 77,930.30 crore for 2023-2024, Rs 17,075.70 crore was earmarked for Scheduled Castes Sub-Plan (21.91 per cent) and Rs 1,595.89 crore (2.05 per cent) for Tribal Sub-Plan. The Special Component Plan (SCP) was introduced in 1979 for the welfare and development of SCs along the Tribal Sub Plan (TSP) for Scheduled Tribes.
The SCP was envisaged to help poor SC families through composite income generation, welfare and developmental schemes for overall development and to bridge the gap in the socio-economic condition of SCs.
The SCP was renamed Scheduled Caste Sub Plan in April 2006.
The NCSC has taken cognisance of the complaint and issued notice to the Chief Secretary of Tamil Nadu and the Principal Secretary to the Governor on July 28. NCSC director S Ravivarman, in his notice dated July 27, directed them to furnish all details, facts and information regarding the allegations in the complaint and action taken on the complaint be provided within 15 days of receiving the notice. NCSC said if the information is not supplied in the stipulated time, it may exercise its power as a Civil Court to summon concerned officials.
Dalit activists said “they will approach the court against the Government’s decision to divert SCSP funds. This is not the first time this is happening. We have been demanding since 2000 that the fund be utilised for the community’s welfare. It is an offence and not a financial impropriety”.
According to RBI data, Tamil Nadu’s gross market borrowings through State Development Loans stood at Rs 68,000 crore during April-February of 2023. For the third year, Tamil Nadu has topped the list of States with the highest market borrowings.
The cash-trapped TN Government is under pressure to implement this flag scheme before the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.
According to the unconfirmed sources, the distribution of applications for this scheme has been deferred. It is unclear whether the scheme will be launched as announced earlier or use as a reason for non-implementation, blaming the Centre.
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