Indian Tribal News Service
New Delhi
The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Social Justice and Empowerment. Chaired by Lok Sabha MP Rama Devi, has taken the Ministry of Tribal Affairs (MoTA) to task on many counts.
While it took umbrage to the MoTA not implementing different scholarship schemes in ‘true spirit’. It also refused to accept the Ministry’s reasoning for the unspent budgetary allocation on grounds of Covid-19 pandemic.
It is not making any effort to identify eligible students for awarding National Overseas Scholarships, the panel said. Citing how it awarded the scholarships to just 45 students in the last five years. And the pre-matric scholarships, the Committee said either the population of tribal students under pre-matric classes has remained stagnant or the minister. And not made enough efforts target fixed under the scheme is based on correct data regarding tribal population
The National Overseas Scholarship awarded to 20 students, 17 for ST students and three for vulnerable tribal groups (PVTG). Who has an income ceiling of Rs 6 lakh annually for pursuing higher studies abroad.
The overseas scholarship of 55 tribal students lapsed in the last five years due to ‘irresponsible’ approach of the government. The committee also noted that the sanctioned amount of Rs 5 crore for an overseas scholarship, only Rs 2.46 crore has been spent by MoTA in 2021-22.
On MoTA’s spending, it said: ”The committee find initially the budgetary allocations of Rs 7,355.76 crore and Rs 7,084.07 crore made for the Ministry of Tribal Affairs for the years 2020-21 and 2021-22 respectively. To administer their central sector and centrally-sponsored schemes besides two official programmes. Special Central Assistance to Tribal Sub-scheme and Grants-in-Aid under Article 275(1) of the Constitution.”
However, the allocation was reduced to Rs 5,472.50 crore in 2020-21 and Rs 6126.46 crore in 2021-22 at the revised estimate (RE) stage, it said.
”Surprisingly, the Ministry of Tribal Affairs could not even spend fully RE allocation in 2020-21 and able to spend Rs 4,070.04 crore in 2021-22 up to February 15, 2022.
Leaving apart the cut in allocation made by the Ministry of Finance for all ministries due to COVID-19,” the panel said.
The reason cited by MoTA that both the governmental and non-government agencies not able to carry out field-level activities due to COVID-19. Also that the states could not utilize the amount released to them by the ministry and furnish utilization certificates.
“’Nonetheless, after analyzing the expenditure of the various schemes administered by the ministry during 2021-22,
it is difficult for the committee to accept that ongoing pandemic adversely affected the expenditure,” the committee noted.
It said work on several schemes such as aid to voluntary organizations working for the scheduled tribes. Development of particularly vulnerable groups continued, ministry has already carried out analysis of tribal village’s health and education sectors.
Revamped their schemes to implemented in phased manner with defined target beneficiaries. Under the Pradhan Mantri Aadi Adarsh Gram Yojana (PMAAGY) and the Pradhan Mantri Jan Jatiya Vikas Mission.
The panel said it has again, observed that the ministry should avoid rush of expenditure at end of financial year. Make ”sincere efforts so that funds are timely spent and the targeted people get the benefits.”Read more of our The Indian Tribal News blog on our website.
