The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : ‘Curbs on SC, ST funds should go’

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Wednesday, Aug 15, 2007
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

‘Curbs on SC, ST funds should go’

Correspondent

State urged to drop nodal agency move

Kakinada: There is no need for creation of a nodal agency to implement the SC special component plan and ST sub-plan as proposed, clarifies K.S.R. Murthy, former MP and official spokesman of the Pradesh Congress Committee.

At a press conference here on Tuesday, he said the funds earmarked for both the plans should be shown separately in the State budget and their spending should be left completely to the secretaries excluding the same from the control of secretary (finance). Besides, he wanted that the usual restrictions such as funds lapsing by March should be revoked. Under the two special plans, SCs would get 16 per cent and STs 7 per cent funds. When the Rs.30,500-crore overall State budget was taken into consideration, Rs. 6,000 crores would go for the welfare of both SCs and STs which can be better administered by secretaries rather than the nodal agency.

The former MP said he had written a letter to the Chief Minister recently suggesting dropping of the move to create a nodal agency for spending SC and ST funds.

Plea to PR staff

Mr. Murthy, who is a retired IAS officer, came out with an appeal to the striking Panchayat Raj engineering staff to call off their agitation, assuring them of taking total responsibility for ensuring fair deal in their promotions, job security in the new set-up.

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