The chairperson of the National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC), Kishore Makwana, has accused the Karnataka government of diverting approximately Rs 14,000 crore from the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe welfare plans for “other purposes”.
Makwana told India Today TV exclusively, “The Karnataka government has abused monies earmarked for the development of Schedule Castes. The monies are being diverted for other purposes. “It violates the Constitution.”
NCSC seeks detailed report within seven days
“We want these funds to be used for the benefit of Scheduled Castes. We sent a notice to the Karnataka administration and requested a response within seven days,” he added.
The NCSC has issued a notice to the Karnataka government in response to claims that monies were being diverted from Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe welfare initiatives in order to meet its five guarantee schemes.
Also read: Food safety violations discovered at Tollywood actor Sundeep Kishan’s restaurant
The notification to the Karnataka administration comes a day after a media report stated that funding for the Scheduled Caste Sub Plan (SCSP) and Tribal Sub Plan (TSP) were diverted in the southern state.
The NCSC stated in its notice to Karnataka’s Chief Secretary that the Karnataka government has opted to reallocate Rs 14,730 crore, which was originally intended for SCSP and TSP, to implement different welfare initiatives known as the “Five Guarantees Schemes”.
Commission emphasises importance of these funds in promoting welfare of SC/ST communities
The commission also emphasized the relevance of these monies in improving the social and economic well-being of the SC/ST populations. Furthermore, the NCSC stated that the Karnataka Chief Secretary is asked to give a complete report explaining the rationale for the cash diversion and outlining actions to guarantee that the welfare of the SC/ST people is not jeopardised.
Also read: Supreme Court judge recuses from hearing Sisodia’s bail plea
Deputy CM DK Shivakumar says everything done as per law
Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar responded to the NCSC notification by saying that everything was being done legally and that nothing was incorrect.
“The state has passed legislation stipulating that a specific sum of money shall be allocated to a specific neighborhood. Nothing is wrong with it. Andhra Pradesh had previously introduced a law along these lines,” he remarked, addressing reporters in Bengaluru.
