Special Central Assistance to the Scheduled Castes Sub Plan a

1. Proposal under consideration: 22Merger of 3 Centrally Sponsored schemes as component schemes:

• Special Central Assistance to Scheduled Castes Sub Plan (SCA to SCSP)
• Pradhan Mantri Adarsh Gram Yojana (PMAGY)
• Babu Jagjivan Ram Chhatrawas Yojana (BJRCY)

2. Rationale for merger:

• Holistic development based on needs identified
• Expansion of IT framework already in place for PMAGY
• Schemes have common objectives & implementing agencies
• More target-oriented projects suited to local requirements
• Better targeting of the beneficiaries
• Convergence of Need Assessment and coverage data
• Optimal utilization of resources
• Comprehensive monitoring mechanism
• Faster processing and releases

3. Objectives of the proposed Scheme:

• Reduce poverty of the SC communities by generation of additional employment opportunities through skill development, income generating schemes and other initiatives. 
• To improve socio-economic developmental indicators by ensuring adequate infrastructure and requisite services in the SC dominated villages.
• To increase literacy and encourage enrolment of SCs in schools and higher educational institutions by providing adequate residential facilities in quality institutions, as well as residential schools where required; in the aspirational districts/SC majority blocks and elsewhere in India. 

4. Present position:

• Scheme of PM-AJAY is yet to get approved from competent authority.
• It has been decided to run each component of the scheme as per present Scheme Guidelines of the respective Schemes.
• During 2021-22 the component related to earlier scheme of SCA to SCSP (Special Central Assistance for Scheduled Caste Sub Plan) will be implemented as per existing guidelines of SCA to SCSP.
• State needs to submit their Perspective Plan in online mode through the web-portal https://pmajay.dosje.gov.in.
• Login credentials for State and District Level Officers has been sent to email of Principal Secretary of the States.
• There are two id's for each level (State/District). One for creation of projects and another for its approval.
• De-centralised planning will be used for creation of projects.

5. Background:

• Over a period of time the Government has adopted a multi-pronged approach for the socio-economic development of the Scheduled Castes. The initiatives are aimed at social empowerment through educational development; economic empowerment through income and employment enhancing avenues and integrated development of SC majority villages; protection through effective implementation of protective legislations and eradication of occupations such as manual scavenging; and holistic development through earmarking of funds in proportion to the population of these groups.
• For the development of Scheduled Caste persons (SCs) who form the major chunk of the country's population living below the poverty line, the Department of Social Justice & Empowerment introduced the Centrally Sponsored Scheme of "Special Central Assistance (SCA) to Scheduled Castes Sub Plan (SCSP)" in 1980, in order to ensure that the States/UTsprepare the Scheduled Caste Sub Plan (SCSP) and this Scheme provided the necessary catalyst in the form of financial support from the  Central Government. Under the Scheme grant is being given to the State Governments/UTs Administrations as an additive to their Scheduled Caste Sub Plan (SCSP).

6. Objectives of the existing Scheme:

• The main objective of the scheme is to increase the income of the target population by way of various income generating schemes, skill development and infrastructure development.
• To reduce the poverty among the target population and bring them above the poverty lines.

7. Scheme Components:

• Income Generating Schemes

• Boost Entrepreneurship  among SCs
• Subsidy of Rs 10000/- per beneficiary or 50% of loan

• Skill Development Programmes

• Enhance  Capacity Building through training
• Skill Training in line with National Framework

• Infrastructure Development

• Development Programmes in SC majority villages
• Fills critical gaps in overall development

• Monitoring and Evaluation

• Up to 3 % of the total SCA released to the States/UTs can be utilized by the States/UTs for supervision, monitoring and evaluation of economic development schemes implemented with the support of SCA funds.
• In order to assist the State Scheduled Caste Corporation for various Administrative expenses, the States/UTs may incur up to 1% of the total SCA released to the States/UTs as part of the permissible expenditure for supervision, monitoring and evaluation.

8. Eligibility Criteria

• The Scheduled Castes persons living below the poverty lines are eligible for getting benefits under the various Income Generating Schemes and Skill Development Programmes.
• In case of Infrastructure Development, the villages having 50% or more SC population are eligible for grants under the Scheme.
• As regards definition of poverty line and selection of SC families living below poverty line is concerned, the guidelines issued by the erstwhile Planning Commission and the procedure laid down by the Ministry of Rural Development for selecting the beneficiaries through the Panchayati Raj institutions may be adopted.

9. Scheme Coverage:

• Scheme implemented in 28 States/UTs
• Not Covered States/UTs:

• States: Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Meghalaya & Mizoram
• UTs: A & N Islands, Dadra Nagar Haveli, Daman & Diu, Ladakh& Lakshadweep.

10. Scheme Performance:

(Rs. In Crore)

#as on 31-08-2021; *as reported up to 31-08-2021

11. Constraints faced:

• The implementation Guidelines incorporating proper implementation framework for activities which can be undertaken under the Schemes were issued during 2018-19.
• From 2019-20 the submission of Perspective Plan by the States was made mandatory.
• The proposal for enhancement of the Subsidy from Rs. 10000 to Rs 50000 under the income generation component could not be implemented due to pending approval of Cabinet pending since 2018-19. The meager subsidy of Rs. 10000 per beneficiary under the Income Generation Activities which form major component of the Scheme is not able to incentivize the process and lacking in adoption of the Scheme at the beneficiary level.
• Allocation under Infrastructure component was enhanced from 10% to 30% during 2018-19 so the works under this component are still to come up to the point of expectations.
• It has also been observed, that due to non-release of funds by the State Treasuries to the implementation Departments has resulted in the poor implementation during Pandemic situation prevailing in the Country. 
• Sometimes poor budgetary planning at the State level is also resulting in the non-release of the funds by the State Treasury to the implementation Departments like in Karnataka.

12. Action Initiated for improvements:

• During 2020-21, out of 28 States implementing the Scheme, 27 submitted their Perspective Plans. The Monitoring of the Scheme implementation has been enhanced and regular follow-up/consultation through VC/WhatsApp is being done with States/UTs.
• Letters to Chief Ministers already sent to Bihar, Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, Karnataka and Maharashtra which are poor performing at the moment.
• For proper planning and implementation of the Scheme our NIC Team has developeda Web-based System https://pmajay.dosje.gov.inwhich have facility for need based decentralized planning, proposal preparation, its appraisal, submission, evaluation, approval and implementation along with financial tracking. Beneficiaries wish to avail benefits under the Skill Development and Income Generation Components would also be brought under the proposed portal. We are planning to launch the portal for next financial year.
• Proposal for merger of the Scheme with the Schemes with similar objectives and similar nature of interventions namely, Pradhan Mantri Adarsh Gram Yojana (PMAGY) and Babu Jagjivan Ram Chhatrawas Yojana (BJRCY) is under consideration. The proposal also have provision for enhancing the income limit of the beneficiaries under Income Generation and Skill Development component along with enhancement of the subsidy to Rs. 50000 from  10000.

13. State-wise performance during last three years is as under:

(Rs. in Lakh)