The Scheduled Caste sub-component in the annual plan outlay of the state government has exceeded the total Scheduled Caste population of the state because of the welfare measures announced by the Bhupinder Singh Hooda government. The government is however is not much bothered as it has much in its coffers to support its policies for the SCs. The government has dedicated 21.35 per cent of the total plan outlay for the scheduled castes against their total population share of 19.35 per cent. The financial arrangement in the annual plan for the Scheduled Castes has already increased more than three fold at Rs 6,650 crore against the earmarked amount of Rs 2,000 crore in 2003-04. According to sources, it has been done with an eye on the ensuing Lok Sabha polls which would be followed by the assembly polls in the state. The major financial burden has come because of the government’s decision to provide 100 square yards to the families living below poverty line. Though the land for these plots would be given by the village panchayats but the government has decided to provide a subsidy of Rs 50,000 to the scheduled castes for the purpose of construction on these plots. This assistance had been Rs 10,000 in the past. However, the scheme has also enlarged as it now includes all the BPL families irrespective of their caste. The government has also decided to give financial incentive of Rs 1,500 for each scheduled caste woman for institutional delivery. This amount is over the Central government norms of Rs 700. The government also increased the amount under Indira Gandhi Vivah Shagun Yojna to 15,000 from Rs 5100. It has also decided to include the BPL families under the scheme as well. The state’s decision to provide assistance to the villages with more than 50 per cent scheduled castes population has further increased the financial arrangement. The government has recently decided to provide Rs 10 lakh to the villages with a population of 500, Rs 25 lakh for the villages with population between 501 and 1,000 and Rs 50 lakh for the villages where SC population is more than 1,000 persons. And as per census-2001, there are 391 villages with more than 50 per cent SC population. Development works of these villages will be taken up in the next two years. During the year 2008-09 an amount of Rs 92.75 crore will be spent in the selected villages.
