Centre sanctions Rs 359 crore to states for dalit welfare

The Social Justice and Empowerment Ministry today said it has sanctioned Rs 359.52 crore so far to 18 states for the welfare of dalits as part of its special assistance scheme.
The amount has been sanctioned for the year 2016-17 under the scheme of Special Central Assistance to Scheduled Castes Sub Plan (SCA to SCSP), the Ministry said in a statement.
"Under the scheme of SCA to SCSP for the year 2016-17..So far Rs 359 crore has been released to 18 states. The main objective of this special central assistance for SCs is to give a thrust to family oriented schemes of economic development of SCs which are below the poverty line," it said.

Depending upon the local occupational pattern and the economic activities available, the states/UTs have been given full flexibility in utilising the funds.
Ten per cent of the funds released as special assistance to states/UTs in a year can be utilised for infrastructural development programmes in villages having a dalit population of more than 50 per cent.
Similarly, 15 per cent of the total funds released to the states/UTs should be utilised for economic development programme for SC women and five per cent for economic development of disabled persons among SC population, it said.