Social Justice through AP Sub Plan
I have explained the details of AP Sub-Plan 2012 are the first in kind in the country to give social status to the SCs and STs through a special scheme allotted from the budget of the State. The necessity of this bill in the State and the main features in this Plan has been detailed in this article. The provisions for the safety of SCs/STs according to the articles of our constitutions are the part of this article.
Introduction
Modern States are welfare States. The Governments under welfare States prepare certain schemes for the development and enlightenment of every category in the society. Social justice is an internal motto of constitution. There are different levels of people and their unequal social statuses in the society may threat to the national integrity. Our constitution notify to remove the variations between the down trodden people like scheduled caste and scheduled tribe with other people in the society is responsibility of Central and State Governments. The Government of Andhra Pradesh made bill to protect the interests of SCs and STs in the name of Sub-Plan.Use of sub-plan and its necessity
Central Government in a view to develop the scheduled caste and scheduled tribe formulated a separate sub plan for tribes in 1974 and for scheduled caste in 1979. The main aim of these sub-plans is , that every State has to allocate special schemes and resources for the welfare of SCs/STs according to the proportion of population of the State. The funds should have to consume for getting equal social status and attain the progress of their development. The Central Government issued rules and regulations for the implementation of these funds.
Many States have ignored the sub-plan objectives. The funds from the Central government have been shifted to other schemes or unable to utilize funds in a prescribed period have become routine job to the States till then. Some State Governments are not able to reach the expected results which were dictated by the Central Government. So the Andhra Pradesh Government decided to make a separate bill called 'Sub-Plan' compulsory for the uplift of SCs and STs to prevent negligence and irregular consume of funds in order to make justice to SCs and STs through the 'sub-plan' bill introduced by AP Government.Situation in other States
The States Maharashtra, Gujarat, Tamilanadu and Odessa have been implementing strongly from the beginning of the initiation of the sub-plan bill. Maharashtra State stood first in consume of the special funds for sub-plan with added additional funds to this sub-plan for development of welfare activities to the SCs and STs. In the survey of last five years sub-plan, Maharashtra 100%, Gujarat 100%, Tamilanadu 95%, Chhattisgarh 93%, Odessa 92%, Kerala 89% and Andhra Pradesh 65%, have used their sub-plan funds.Sub-plan gets Statutory status first in AP
The Andhra Pradesh Assembly on December 2nd. 2012 passed providing statutory status for implementation of the sub-plans for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. The legislation will ensure fund allocation proportionate to the SC and ST population and is expected to prevent diversion of sub-plan funds for other activities and not allowing them unspent. There is also a mandatory provision for allocation of almost s fourth of the State's annual plan of the budget for SC, ST. The bill was introduced on the recommendations of the Cabinet sub-committee.
The demand for according legal status to the Sub-Plans was made on States for a long time by the Planning Commission of India National Development Council (NDC). With this, Andhra Pradesh has become the first State in India to enact such legislation.
Since the State Assembly had the power to adopt annul budget only for one year, there was no constitutional provision to prevent lapsing of SC/ST funds.Sub-plan and its main features
Problems in implementation
The activities of this AP sub-plan should have to be finalized which aimed to develop the scheduled caste and scheduled tribe. Before beginning of the activities of this scheme, they would have to sort out the activities which were taken during the period of last 65 years of our independence. The schemes and programs which were introduced in the past independent period and their way of implementation and the benefits of the SCs/STs should be over viewed. There was no evidences of benefited the SCs/STS. If there was any benefit to the people through the schemes in the past, there would have not been necessary to introduce AP sub-plan 2012. If this scheme is not as same as in the last packages, it will be a genuine implementation with political pro-activity with dedicated to the welfare of SCs/STs.Transparency in implementation
Andhra Pradesh is the first State providing statutory status for implementation of the sub-plans for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. Other States implement the items in this sub-plan for the progress of SCs/STS without any statutory status in transparency, accuracy with satisfying the all classes of people in those States and getting with expected results following the norms of the Central planning commission. With the hope of our Government, the sub-plan has been introduced and it helps to get desired results to the uplift of the SCs/STs. But there are many flaws came out in observation to notify and shuffling. There are mainly:Conclusion
The Government of Andhra Pradesh effort in bringing the Sub-Plan bill and providing statutory status to this bill is laudable and ideal to the country. If this bill implements with heart full and clarity with dedication and ignoring political benefit, It will be an ideal forever to the democratic States like on the screen of India "a secular" state from Andhra Pradesh as the first State in the country. Then it is become an Ideal State as in the dreams of Mahatma Gandhi and a society of equal social status as Dr. B R Ambedkar aspires.
We hoped to see as stated in the 12th. five year plan preamble that standard development with the participation of mixed social status to reach the goals with a move of specific speed. It is only possible the sub-plan will be implemented with proper gear of speed.Constitutional safety measures for SCs/STs
The following safety measures for SCs/STs are placed in our Constitution.