Hyderabad: Deputy Chief Minister Bhatti Vikramarka Mallu has said that every department should spend funds in accordance with SC, ST Sub-Plan within the stipulated time. At a review meeting on implementation of SC, ST Sub Plan with senior officials of various departments at the Secretariat here on Friday, he instructed the officials to disclose the details of department-wise expenditure as per the Sub Plan Act once in a month. The available funds should be spent satisfactorily, he said. The officials should formulate plans to ensure that the funds spent under the Sub Plan would lead to a rise in income of the respective communities and creation of assets, he asserted. Bhatti asked all the officials to submit full details related to spending of Sub Plan funds and the benefits accrued to the communities to the meeting to be convened on January 23. He also questioned the officials of departments which could not spend Sub Plan funds as per the quota on how they proposed to spend the amounts and what were the plans to reach the target in the next two months. The officials gave a presentation of CESS report on the implementation of SC, ST Sub Plan in various departments over the last eight years. Bhatti inquired about the issues observed by the CESS officials and the outcomes achieved by the department officials on those issues. Bhatti instructed the CESS officers to submit their reports to the Finance and Planning department officials hereafter and hold meetings with them frequently. Bhatti laid emphasis on use of solar power pump sets in forest lands and directed the officers to design bamboo, avocado, palm oil projects and other inter crops along with them. The works under the employment guarantee scheme should be linked with these cultivations, he suggested. This will help not only in protection of forests but also enhance the incomes of adivasi and tribal farmers. The SC, ST women who are being displaced under the Musi Rejuvenation project should be identified and they should be enrolled in Self Help Groups to let them avail interest free loans and help them become entrepreneurs. The self employment schemes should extensively be made accessible to SC and STs in the urban areas. As part of this, transport vehicles, cleaning machines should be sanctioned to these communities in the municipalities and under the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) limits. Financial help be provided to SC, ST farmers and lift irrigation schemes under repairs should be restored under Indira Jala Prabha, he said, asking the Principal Secretaries of SC and ST departments to meet Principal Secretaries of various other departments and formulate plans for spending Sub Plan funds during this financial year.
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