NITI Aayog to monitor implementation of SC and ST Sub Plans

Newly created NITI Aayog, which replaced erstwhile Planning Commission, will continue to discharge latter's responsibility towards Scheduled Caste Sub Plan (SCSP) and Tribal Sub Plan (TSP) that are part of expenditure for welfare of these underprivileged communities.
"...NITI (National Institution for Transforming India) Aayog shall be the successor in the Planning Commission and as such continue to discharge the responsibility of SCSP and TSP until further orders," Planning Minister Rao Inderjit Singh said in a written reply to Rajya Sabha.
Replying to a separate question, the minister said, "States are empowered to set up requisite committees at state/district/block level for SCSP and TSP as per revised guidelines issued on June 18, 2014 by the then Planning Commission."

In another reply on central assistance to Bundelkhand, he said, "The allocation (under the package) for Uttar Pradesh was Rs 3,606 crore initially. An amount of Rs 1,005.51 crore was released as additional central assistance (ACA) to Uttar Pradesh during XI Plan (2007-12) and Rs 2,515.50 crore budgetary supports was earmarked during XII Plan (2012-17) making total allocation to Rs 3,521.01 crore."
The Bundelkhand Drought Mitigation Package was approved by the Cabinet in 2009 with an allocation of Rs 7,466 crore for implementation of projects to minimize the effect of drought and backwardness in Bundelkhand region of Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh.

The minister informed the House that the total releases under Bundelkhand Package for Uttar Pradesh has been Rs 1,557.94 crore so far against which the utilisation certificate for Rs 1,018.62 crore has been received including 100 per cent utilisation of Rs 320.0 crore released as first instalment for Agricultural Marketing and Warehouse Infrastructure.
Uttar Pradesh has requested for release of second installment of Rs 343.76 crore for completion of 7 Specialized Mandis and 133 rural infrastructure nuclei (RIN) as part of Agricultural Marketing and Warehouse Infrastructure, he said adding that the NITI Aayog after review of the physical progress of the projects has recommended to Department of Expenditure to release Rs 287.89 crore to the state.