To

Shri Manmohan Singh Jee

Prime Minister of India

Room Number 148 B

South Block, Raisina Hill

New Delhi, 110001

Subject: Requesting Not to approve the “First Report of the task Force to Review Guidelines on Scheduled Castes Sub Plan and Scheduled Tribes Sub Plan”, Planning Commission of India

(Full report - http://planningcommission.nic.in/aboutus/taskforce/tsk_scsp.pdf)

We the under signed would like to draw your kind attention to the above subject. Scheduled Castes Sub Plan and Tribal Sub Plan are being implemented for the last three decades. Even though the basic principle of Scheduled Castes Sub Plan and Tribal Sub Plan is to make allocations in proportion of to the population of scheduled castes and scheduled tribes but these percentages were never implemented by ministries/ departments of union and state governments. It is estimated that more than Rs 4 lakh 15 thousand crores were denied to Scs and STs only in allocation by union government during the last three decades.

In this context, the planning commission has appointed a Task force to review the exixting guidelines and to suggest measures to improve allocations under Scheduled Castes Sub Plan and Tribal Sub Plan. Subsequently, the Task Force submitted its first report on 25 November 2010. These recommendations arenot only contradictory to the principles of SCSP and TSP but also  will legitimize the non allocation of  funds by several ministries / departments.

The report excludes 40 Ministries / Departments in the case of Scheduled caste and 43 in the case of Scheduled Tribes from making any efforts for their development

Responsibilities of 10 Ministries / Departments will be lessened

Only 9 Ministries / Departments will continue the status

Only responsibilities of 6 Ministries / Departments will be enhanced

They are totally against to the principles of Scheduled Castes Sub Plan and Tribal Sub Plan as envisioned by Mrs. Indira Gandhi Jee.

Accounting of Scheduled Castes Sub Plan and Tribal Sub Plan for general welfare schemes/ programmes such as  National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme and Indira Aawaaz Yojana etc to the extent of SCs and STs is against the concept, as SCSP and TSP is  in addition to the general welfare / developmental schemes by the government.

They ultimately legitimizes the debate of indivisibility of funds by ministries / departments by non allocation of funds under Scheduled Castes Sub Plan and Tribal Sub Plan. in view of this, National Dalit forum had a consultancy with Honorable Parliamentarians on 17th March 2011 in which 32 Parliamentarians Signed a Dissent Note and sent to you on 25th March 2011 

So it is respectfully requested your kind self to totally reject the “First Report of the Task force to Review the Guidelines on Scheduled Castes Sub Plan and Tribal Sub Plan submitted on 25th of November 2010 by its Chairmen Dr. Narendra Jadhav, Member Planning Commission to the Deputy Chairman Planning Commission

 Thank you

Yours faith fully

B.Karthik Navayan,

Programme Officer

National Dalit Forum

12-13-441, IInd Floor

Street No.1, TARNAKA

Secunderabad - 500017

Andhra Pradesh