Where does the tribal welfare fund go?
24 Aug, 2012The census data reveals that there is no native tribe in Delhi. The Delhi government has a plan for the welfare of scheduled caste and minorities but no such plan exists for tribal welfare. Even the Delhi High Court has ruled that the reservation policy in jobs and education for Scheduled Tribes does not apply to Delhi. The Ministry for Tribal affairs while replying to an application under the Right to Information (RTI) has accepted that it has been funding the Delhi government for welfare of tribal. In the last three years, the Ministry has handed around 80 lakhs under its scheme of coaching for Scheduled Tribes in Delhi. The information from the RTI further reveals that Delhi stands fourth in terms of funds for tribal welfare among Indian states, well above the states like Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand and Odisha which own a substantial tribal population. Even the government’s website does not show how the money has been spent for welfare of tribal in the 11th plan (2007-12).