The annual Union Budget for 2022-23 is being termed as the Budget of and for corporates. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman introduced various reformative allocations for the private sector that was been received in Dalal Street with enthusiasm, resulting in the stock market trading on a high note. The promise of increasing capital expenditure by 35% was the defining feature of the budget.
On the other hand, tribals, Adivasis and people in rural areas have little to no mention in the Budget. These sections are one of the worst affected groups by the wrath of the Covid-19 pandemic, and the demand for urgent and special assistance in issues concerning health, security and livelihood was put forth in the limelight.
Dissecting the allocation for schemes for scheduled caste (SC) and scheduled tribes (ST) communities, the National Campaign on Dalit Human Rights (NDHCR) stated that the proportion of targeted schemes is 37.79% for SC and 43.8% for ST in the Union Budget of 2022-23.
Targeted schemes are those that directly impact and benefit these communities.
Nonetheless, there is more to keep note of considering the stance of the union government in regards to the tribals, Dalits and the Adivasi communities. Here’s a detailed analysis of the same.
Allocation Of Resources For Marginalised Groups
The NCDHR in their analysis of the Union Budget highlighted that as per the guidelines by the NITI Aayog on the Allocation for the Welfare of Scheduled Caste (AWSC) and the Allocation for the Welfare of Scheduled Tribe (AWST), it is mandatory to allocate an amount proportionate to the population.
The government over the years continues to ignore this mandatory allocation. According to the Dalit Arthik Adhikar Andolan (DAAA), there are gaps of Rs 40,634 crore and Rs 9,399 crore in the budget for the SC and ST communities respectively.
On similar lines, the allocation of Rs 1,26,259 crore in the year 2021-22 for the SC has now increased to Rs 1,39,956 crore from the Revised Budget (RB) and again increased to Rs 1,42,342 crore in the year 2022-23 i.e. 3.61% of the entire budget of the government. The SC community are about 16.2% of the total population of the country.
Similarly, the budget allocated for the ST has increased to Rs 87,473 crore in the RB from Rs 79,942 crore in the year 2021-22 and again increased to Rs 89,265 crore in the year 2022-23; which is 2.26% of the entire budget of the government. The ST community are about 8.8% of the total population of the country.
The Union Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare has allocated Rs 20,472 crore for SCs in the year 2022-23, out of which Rs 2,667 crore has been earmarked for the Fasal Bima Yojana. Similarly, Rs 1,381 crore is allocated for STs under this scheme. On the other hand, the allocation of money to agricultural education and research has been reduced in the Union Budget 2022-23. Also, expenditure on agricultural education, animal science, crop science and management of natural resources has been reduced in the budget.
The Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) has in its report stated that the Government of India does not have the data of the SC/ST beneficiaries about the money allocated under this scheme in the previous years. Hence, it cannot be confirmed how many SC/STs have benefited.
Employment And New Schemes For SCs And STs
The allocation to the Tribal Affairs Ministry has increased 12.3% to Rs 8,451.92 crores over a Budget Estimate (BE) of Rs 7,524.85 crores for the previous year. A new scheme — Venture Capital Fund for Scheduled Tribes — was announced to promote entrepreneurship among tribals who are oriented towards innovation and growth technologies. So far, the scheme had been restricted to entrepreneurs among SCs.
On the other hand, the allocation for employment generation for the SCs in the Union Budget 2022-23 has drastically reduced to Rs 22.97 crore from Rs 170.96 crore in the previous year. Similarly, for the STs, there’s been a drop to Rs 11.3 crore this year, from Rs 89.5 crores last year.
The employment generation schemes being referred to above include National Career services, Pradhan Mantri Rojgar Protsahan Yojana, coaching and guidance for SC/STs and other backward classes. Similarly, labour welfare scheme for the SCs registered a drop to Rs 19.88 crore under allocation for welfare of SCs from Rs 24.9 crore in the previous year and for STs, it has been dropped to Rs 10.66 crore in the current year from Rs 12.9 crore in the previous year.
The Centre’s Rs 73,000 crore allocation for the flagship rural jobs scheme, the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), in 2022-23 is 25% lower than the Rs 98,000 crores RE for the scheme in the current year, reverting to the same insufficient amount allocated in the last budget.
The SC and ST communities depend on MGNREGA for guaranteed government work and payment. “Approximately Rs 12,300 crore — Rs 1,464 crore as wages and Rs 10,900 crore as material — is yet to be paid, which is going to eat up the next year’s budget. So effectively only about ₹60,700 crore is available for next year,” said Debmalya Nandy of the NREGA Sangharsh Morcha.
Recommendations By NCDHR
The NCDHR has urged the Union government to ensure that all obligatory ministries allocate population proportionate funds for Dalits and Adivasis. It has also recommended that the allocation to direct benefit schemes, like PMS, hostels, skill development schemes be increased and timely transfer of funds be ensured to beneficiaries at all costs.
It has also urged the government to come up with a minimum social protection floor that guarantees access to universal basic healthcare including maternity benefit and basic income security for all Dalits and Adivasis.
“Allocation should be increased to prevent crime against Dalit women, men, children, people with disabilities and queer and trans persons. There is a need for establishing clear mechanisms to provide protection and security to any victims of caste-based discrimination and violence. The current allocation is grossly inadequate,” it said.