http://www.hindu.com/2009/12/20/stories/2009122059400300.htm
Karnataka - Bangalore ‘BBMP not spending allocated funds on Dalits’ Staff Reporter Rs. 323.62 crore in spill-over funds from previous years has remained untouched Only Rs. 10.88 crore has been spent on educational programmes Bangalore: The Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) is not interested in spending funds earmarked for the welfare of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, charged M. Venkatesh, Bangalore District Convener of the Dalit Bahujan Movement. “Of the Rs. 483 crore earmarked under the 18 per cent Scheme (for SC/ST welfare programmes) this year, it spent only Rs. 55.12 crore. If funds were to be calculated as per the new 22.75 per cent scheme, there would be an additional Rs. 100 crore with BBMP,” he said at a seminar here recently. According to information provided under Right to Information, the BBMP had allocated Rs. 32 crore for educational programmes, of which only Rs. 10.88 crore has been spent. “However, we later found out it has given Rs. 10 crore to the Department of Social Welfare, which had sought funds for payment of fees and scholarship for students. But the BBMP, to date, has received no documentary evidence from the department. Hence, we don’t know if these students come under the BBMP area,” Mr. Venkatesh said. A fraction Of the Rs. 32 crore earmarked for economic programmes for SC/ST beneficiaries, only Rs. 3.43 crore was spent. A sum of Rs. 79.38 crore was earmarked for works under the 18 per cent schemes such as Bhagya Jyothi, Sooru/ Neeru Yojane. However, the BBMP constructed toilets, concretised roads and took up drain repair for Rs. 40 crore. Of a sum of Rs. 32 crore allotted for purchase of land and construction of houses and hostels, only Rs. 10 lakh was spent. Spill-over funds from previous financial years amounting to Rs. 323.62 crore still remain untouched, he charged. Mr. Venkatesh said that BBMP authorities had earlier assured him that the funds would be completely utilised in this fiscal. ------------------------------------ ---- INFORMATION OVERLOAD? Get all ZESTCaste mails sent out in a span of 24 hours in a single mail. Subscribe to the daily digest version by sending a blank mail to [email protected], OR, if you have a Yahoo! Id, change your settings at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ZESTMedia/join/ PARTICIPATE:- On this list you can share caste news, discuss caste issues and network with like-minded anti-caste people from across India and the world. Just write to [email protected] TELL FRIENDS TO SIGN UP:- If you got this mail as a forward, subscribe to ZESTCaste by sending a blank mail to [email protected] OR, if you have a Yahoo! ID, by visiting http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ZESTCaste/join/ Also have a look at our sister list, ZESTMedia: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ZESTMedia/Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ZESTCaste/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ZESTCaste/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: [email protected] [email protected] <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [email protected] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
