Received Rs 5,990 cr grants under SC, ST sub-plans in 3 years: J'khand govt

Jharkhand Finance Minister Radha Krishna Kishore on Monday claimed that the state received Rs 5,990.6 crore in grants under sub-plans for Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST) over the past three years since 2021-22.

He alleged that the central government had reduced funding under the SC and ST sub-plans over the past decade, and the grants allocated to the state were meagre in proportion to the population of tribal and Dalit communities in the state.

"In Jharkhand, the SC population is 39 lakh and the ST population is 86 lakh. Between 2021-22 and 2023-24, the state received Rs 3,515.11 crore under the ST sub-plan and Rs 2,475.49 crore under the SC sub-plan," Kishore said while addressing the media at the Congress headquarters here.

He added, "A mere Rs 5,990.6 crore has been received over three years, whereas the state should have received at least Rs 10,000 crore for the special component plans, proportional to the SC and ST population in the state."  Kishore further alleged that both the communities feel neglected under the BJP-led central government, which has reduced allocation of funds for the ST and SC sub-plans over the last decade across the country.

"Fund allocation for the SC sub-plan has declined by 3.4 per cent, while the allocation for the ST sub-plan has been slashed by 2.6 per cent over the past decade. This has resulted in a budgetary loss of Rs 11.70 lakh-crore for SCs and Rs 5.57 lakh-crore for STs nationwide," he claimed.

Jharkhand Congress chief Keshav Mahto Kamlesh and senior party leader Rameshwar Oraon were also present during the media address.

They demanded a national law to ensure a fair share of budget for schemes specifically designed for Dalits and Adivasis, keeping their needs in mind.

"We want a law on SC/ST sub-plans to ensure the all-round development of people from both communities," Kamlesh said.

Oraon added that once such a law is enacted, no one would be able to misuse or divert the funds.

"If the central government does not enact a law on this matter, the party will stage an agitation in the state," he warned.