Belgaum: A bill that provides for imprisonment of officials upto six months for willfully neglecting their duties under the SC, ST Sub-plan was passed by the Karnataka Assembly here on Thursday.
Karnataka SC, ST Sub-Plan (Planning, Allocation and Utilisation of Financial Resources) Bill ensures effective implementation of the guidelines issued by the Planning Commission to utilise funds earmarked for SC and ST communities.
The bill provides for earmarking a portion of state plan outlay for SC and ST sub-plan in proportion to the population of the two communities and would ensure an institutional mechanism for preparation, implementation and monitoring of sub-plan, Social Welfare Minister H Anjaneya said.
The bill provides for an exclusive cell in the Finance Department for implementation and allocation of SC, ST Sub-Plan budget.
Welcoming the bill, Opposition JDS Deputy Leader YSV Datta said it will ensure proper utilisation of funds meant for Dalits.
BJP Floor Leader Jagadish Shettar said it will provide a provision to carry over unspent funds to next year.
BS Yeddyurappa, KJP Floor Leader, stressed the need to implement Justice A J Sadashiva Inquiry Commission report that looked into equitable distribution of reservation facilities among Scheduled Castes and had recommended internal reservation among the castes by broadly reclassifying all the 101 castes into four groups.
The bill was passed unanimously.
