Hyderabad: The previous BRS government spent just half the funds on average earmarked for the welfare of tribals as part of the tribal sub-plan between 2014 and 2023, according to a study. Dr V. Mallikarjuna Naik, secretary, ITDS (Institute of Tribal Development Studies), who conducted the study, said, “Significant gaps exist between budget estimates and actual expenditure. While the fund has brought some improvements, particularly in education and healthcare, the persistent issue of underutilisation underscores the need for more efficient administrative processes and better execution of tribal welfare programmes.” The actual spending from the fund hovered between 48 per cent of the budgeted Rs 4,559.81 crores in 2014-15 to a maximum of 88.49 per cent in 2019-20. It fell to 70 per cent in subsequent years during the Covid. The allocation itself grew four-fold to Rs 17,056.09 crores in 2024-25. Tribal sub-plans were started in 1974-75 as part of the Fifth Five-Year Plan to address socio-economic inequalities faced by tribal communities through focused resource allocation. The study attributes the underutilisation of the STSDF fund to bureaucratic red-tape and administrative delays. Among other factors, geographical isolation of tribal population hindered delivery of government services owing to lack of basic road connectivity and digital infrastructure. It recommended simplification of bureaucratic procedures, better coordination between departments and capacity-building for local governance bodies for better outcomes in the spending of funds. Prof. Ch. Bala Ramulu, visiting professor at CESS, said that because of underutilisation of funds, tribals still faced issues like poverty, inadequate education, substandard healthcare and scarce resources, hindering tribal communities’ socio-economic advancement. “Implementation of the Panchayats (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act of 1996, or PESA Act, and the Forest Rights Act of 2006 would go a long way in ensuring tribal development.”
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