Jharkhand Finance Minister Radha Krishna Kishore on Monday stated that the state has received Rs 5,990.6 crore in grants under the Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST) sub-plans over the past three financial years, from 2021-22 to 2023-24.
Addressing the media at the Congress headquarters, Kishore alleged that the central government has consistently reduced funding for SC and ST sub-plans over the past decade, resulting in inadequate financial support for the state’s significant tribal and Dalit population.
He highlighted that Jharkhand has an SC population of 39 lakh and an ST population of 86 lakh, but received only Rs 3,515.11 crore under the ST sub-plan and Rs 2,475.49 crore under the SC sub-plan during this period. He argued that the state should have received at least Rs 10,000 crore over these three years in proportion to its SC and ST demographics.
Kishore accused the BJP-led central government of neglecting these communities, citing that fund allocation for the SC sub-plan has declined by 3.4 per cent and for the ST sub-plan by 2.6 per cent over the past decade. He claimed this reduction has led to a nationwide budgetary shortfall of Rs 11.70 lakh crore for SCs and Rs 5.57 lakh crore for STs.
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Jharkhand Congress chief Keshav Mahto Kamlesh and senior party leader Rameshwar Oraon, who were also present, demanded the enactment of a national law to guarantee a fair budget share for SC and ST welfare schemes.
Kamlesh emphasised the need for such a law to ensure the comprehensive development of both communities, while Oraon stated that the law would prevent any misuse or diversion of allocated funds. He warned that if the central government does not bring forth such legislation, the Congress party will initiate a statewide agitation.
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