There are various infrastructure Development schemes-
Grants under Article 275(1) of the Constitution of India provides such sums as Parliament may by law provide shall be charged on the consolidated Fund of India in each year as grants-in-aid of the revenues of such States as Parliament may determine to be in need of assistance, and different sums may be fixed for different States:
Provided that there shall be paid out of the Consolidated Fund of India as grants-in-aid of the revenues of a State such capital and recurring sums as may be necessary to enable that State to meet the costs of such schemes of development as may be undertaken by the State with the approval of the Government of India for the purpose of promoting the welfare of Scheduled Tribes in that State or raising the level of administration of the Scheduled Areas therein to that of the administration of the rest of the areas of that State”.
Funding Pattern:
This is a Central Sector Scheme and 100% grants are provided to the States.
Coverage:
The scheme covers States namely Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh , Assam , Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Goa, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Orissa, Rajasthan , Sikkim , Tamil Nadu, Tripura, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and West Bengal having Scheduled Tribe Population.
Features
• The grants are provided to the States on the basis of ST population percentage in the State to the total tribal population of the Country.
• The funds are released to the State Governments against specific projects for the welfare of Scheduled Tribes and strengthening of administration of tribal areas from the year 2000- 2001. A part of funds are also utilised to establish Eklavya Model residential Schools to provide quality education to ST students from class VI to XII
The Ministry of Tribal Affairs issued revised guidelines, in super session of the earlier circulars/ letters/ guidelines on the subject, under No.14011/ 9/ 2001-SG&C dated 2.7.2002 for adoption during 10th Five Year Plan. There was a minor modification in the guidelines in January, 2008.
Main Features of the Revised Guidelines dated 2.7.2002
The following are the main features of the revised guidelines issued by this Ministry on 2.7.2002.
(i) Grant under Article 275(1) is additionality to Normal Central Assistance to the State Plan.
(ii) Adoption of the project approach and prior approval of the Ministry is necessary.
(iii) The projects under the first proviso to Article 275(1) are part of the overall TSP and the Annual State Plans.
(iv) Micro-plans for each ITDA/ MADA are to be prepared through multi-disciplinary teams.
(v) Thrust areas are to be identified so that resources are better targeted rather than spreading too thin.
(vi) Provision for utilization of 2% of the funds for project management has been made.
(vii) Provision of expenditure upto 10% of the funds for maintenance and infrastructure with prior approval of the Ministry has also been made.
(viii) Proportionate, at least 30% coverage of women is necessary.
(ix) TSP Component of the Annual State Plan is to be put in a separate budget head under the administrative control of their respective Tribal Development Department.
(x) Earmarking of 10% of funds out of the overall allocation under the first proviso to Article 275(1) for innovative projects has been provided which will be sanctioned amongst only those States who provide TSP in the State Plan in proportion to the ST population of the State in a single budget head and then have spent at least 75% in previous three years on an average Proposed Activities
States can take up activities for strengthening the infrastructure in the sectors critical to enhancement of human development indices such as education, income generation, health irrigation, roads, bridges, forests, forests villages, electrification, communication, rural marketing, agriculture, animal husbandry, food processing, processing of MFPs, human resource development in technical and vocational spheres, water harvesting, resettlement of displaced persons, tribal land management, sports promotion.Generation of community welfare assets like residential schools, Maintenance of schools, Providing skilled teaching including in tribal language, Nutritional support to needy: children, mothers and elderly people, Community Grain Storage, Assured Drinking Water, and Other activities meant for welfare of Tribal population different from conventional development etc.
The Special Central Assistance (SCA) is provided by the Ministry of tribal Affairs to the State Government as an additive to the State TSP. SCA is Primarily meant for family-oriented income-generation schemes in sectors of agriculture, horticulture sericulture and animal husbandry cooperation. A part of SCA (not more than 30%) is also permitted to be used for development of infrastructure incidental to such income generating schemes. SCA is intended to be additive to State Plan efforts for tribal development and forms part of TSP strategy.
Special Central Assistance (SCA) to Scheduled Castes Sub Plan (SCSP) is a central scheme under which 100% grant is given to the States/UTs as an additive to their Scheduled Castes Sub Plan (SCSP).
Objective
The main objective is to give a thrust to family oriented schemes of economic development of SCs below the poverty line, by providing resources for filling the critical gaps and for providing missing vital inputs so that the schemes can be more meaningful. Since the schemes/programmes for SCs may be depending upon the local occupational pattern and the economic activities available, the Sates/UTs have been given full flexibility in utilizing SCA with the only condition that it should be utilized in conjunction with SCP and other resources available from other sources like various Corporations, financial institution etc.
State Government have been given flexibility in choice of schemes to be implemented out of Special Central Assistance, within the overall frame work of the scheme.
Apart from the infrastructure development schemes undertaken by various Line Depts. and Central Sector Schemes, the Directorate of WPT & BC also undertakes infrastructure development schemes funded by the State Govt. for development of infrastructure in Tribal dominated areas of Assam. During the year 2017-18 a provision of Rs.250.00 lakhs has been kept in the budget provision for the same and the Directorate has proposed for construction of 5 Nos. of Community Halls in various Tribal dominated areas of Assam.
Apart from the infrastructure development schemes undertaken by various Line Deptts. and Central Sector Schemes, the Directorate of SC also undertakes infrastructure development schemes funded by the State Govt. for development of infrastructure in SC dominated areas of Assam. During the year 2017-18 a provision of Rs.1000.00 lakhs has been kept in the budget provision for the same.
