AP proposes Rs 5,000 cr for SC, ST Sub-Plans

Hyderabad: Andhra Pradesh Minister for Tribal Welfare R Kishore Babu said he was proposing Rs 5,000 crore budget under SC and ST Sub-Plans in the ensuing budget session beginning on August 20.

He held a day-long meeting with the 40 heads of departments to chalk out a plan for maximum utilisation of the funds. Speaking to media, the minister said the previous Congress government could utilise only 58.4 per cent of the allocated funds under SC Sub-Plan and 47.65 per cent under ST Sub-Plan. The total allocation for united State was Rs 5,236 crore under SC Sub-Plan where as Rs 1,614 under ST Sub-Plan. Since the State was under the process of division, proper implementation was not possible.

“Though we lost some time, we are determined to spend maximum allocated funds for the benefit of the SCs and STs. We are also working on various strategies and focusing on thrust areas like health and education. The proposals will be discussed by the State Council before being discussed in the Assembly,” the Minister added.

He said only 40 per cent of tribal women were literate against the State average of 74 per cent. To improve the literacy rate and keep a check to drop outs, the government would streamline the functioning of schools and hostels. As biometric system was being introduced, the government was expecting good attendance from the students and the teachers, he added.

The Minister said, during last decade, the social welfare hostels were maintained poorly and to overcome this all the 1,600 social welfare hostels would be converted into residential schools to begin with and the process would continue for the hostels under tribal welfare. He added the officials would visit all the hostels and submit their status by end of this month.