BJP questions Karnataka govt overuse of SC-ST funds for guarantees; Minister cites provisions in Act

Bengaluru: Karnataka BJP on Wednesday raised the issue of diversion of Special Component Plan (SCP) and Tribal Sub Plan (TSP) funds, which are reserved for the welfare of Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe communities, towards the state’s guarantee schemes in the Assembly, and strongly condemned the government.

However, Social Welfare Minister H.C. Mahadevappa defended the move, maintaining that the Scheduled Caste Sub-Plan and Tribal Sub-Plan (SCSP/TSP) Act permits such utilisation of funds.

The issue was raised during Question Hour by BJP MLA M. Chandrappa, who said, “In the state budget, Rs 42,000 crore has been sanctioned under the Social Welfare Department for SC-ST welfare.

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But only Rs 7,072 crore has actually been allotted to the department, while the rest has been diverted to other departments by the government. If that is the case, why does the government claim credit for allocating Rs 42,000 crore to the Social Welfare Department for Dalit welfare?”

BJP State General Secretary and MLA V. Sunil Kumar pointed out that the government had officially stated that Rs 13,500 crore from SCP-TSP funds was being used for guarantees in 2024-25.

“The Congress leaders boast that they made a historic decision to earmark funds for SC-STs, but now those very funds are being misused. How can the government use these funds for general programmes?” he questioned.

Taking a jibe, Sunil Kumar added, “Minister Mahadevappa has the knowledge to say that the KRS Dam was built by Tipu Sultan, but how can he remain silent on the use of funds for guarantees?”

JD(S) floor leader and MLA C.B. Suresh Babu said the government should restore the funds already used.

Leader of the Opposition R. Ashoka alleged that the state government had become a “habitual offender” in using SC-ST funds for guarantees.

“If we had done the same, Congress leaders would have chased us out of here. Even late PM Indira Gandhi had written letters against the misuse of Dalit funds. Today, there is no value for Indira Gandhi’s words,” he said.

Ashoka further charged, “The utilisation of funds allotted for Dalits should be decided by the Social Welfare Minister, not by the finance minister. How dare this government misuse Dalit funds?”

Responding to the criticism, Minister Mahadevappa said, “Earlier, Dalit funds were diverted through Section 7D, shown as deemed expenditure. The BJP government itself had used Rs 8,000 crore during Covid and at other times. Even the Congress government had earlier utilised Rs 4,000 crore similarly. To prevent such misuse, we got Section 7D removed.”

He further stated, “We are ensuring that funds reserved for SC-STs reach the intended beneficiaries. There is no diversion or misuse. Section 7C of the Act allows utilisation of the funds and utilisation is being done in accordance with the Act.”

BJP MLA Sunil Kumar pressed further, asking, “Can SC-ST funds be used to benefit the general population?”

Mahadevappa replied, “These funds are reserved for SC-ST beneficiaries. Both the Government of India and state governments in Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, and Uttar Pradesh utilise them as per NITI Aayog guidelines. I am not making this statement merely to defend the government.”

Sunil Kumar countered, “The government claims Rs 1,500 crore from these funds has been used for the Shakti free travel scheme. How can you identify whether the bus passengers availing it are SC-STs? This is a grave injustice to these communities. If Mahadevappa were not a minister, wouldn’t he have opposed this himself?”

Senior BJP MLA S. Suresh Kumar added, “Minister Mahadevappa is a good advocate, but he is defending a hopeless case.”

BJP MLA Chandrappa further questioned why Rs 13,500 crore reserved for Dalits had been diverted to general programmes. “Out of Rs 42,000 crore earmarked for Dalits, funds are distributed across 34 departments,” he said.

Defending the allocations, Mahadevappa stated, “Funds are allotted to 34 departments for schemes like Ganga Kalyan Yojana, agriculture, irrigation, horticulture, rural development, and others, ensuring that benefits reach SC-ST communities. When the Act was enacted, both Houses of the legislature consented to this. It has also been discussed in the State Council to create a pool fund or a single-window agency.”