Audit Reports
Civil
Report No. 33 of 2015 - Performance Audit on Tribal Sub-Plan, Ministry of Human Resource Development, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare and Ministry of AYUSH
Overview
Introduction
The persistence and perpetuation of socio-economic backwardness in spite of the development efforts had warranted a special and focused strategy and a need for a separate policy instrument for the Scheduled Tribes (STs) to enable them to share the benefits of developmental growth in more equitable manner. A comprehensive policy of protection, welfare and development of the STs was prepared by an Expert Committee set up in 1972 which finally gave birth to Tribal Sub-Plan for Scheduled Tribes in 1976. The Tribal Sub-Plan (TSP) was adopted for the first time in the Fifth Five Year Plan. The principal aim of the TSP is to bridge the gap between the STs and the general population with respect to all socio-economic development indicators in a time bound manner.
TSP strategy has twin objective, namely, socio-economic development of scheduled tribes and protection of tribals against exploitation. Guidelines on formulation, implementation and monitoring of TSP have been issued by the Planning Commission from time to time to the States/UTs and Central Ministries for the formulation and effective implementation of the TSP. The last revision was done in 2005, which inter-alia suggested (as per guidelines issued in 2006): (i) earmarking of plan funds in proportion to the Scheduled Caste (SC) and Scheduled Tribe (ST) population both at the Central and State levels; (ii) Scheduled Caste Sub Plan & Tribal Sub-Plan funds should be non-divertible and non-lapsable; (iii) designing proper and appropriate developmental programmes/schemes/activities; (iv) Creation of separate budget heads/sub-heads for different sectors; and (v) Creation of effective monitoring mechanism. In 2010, a task force identified 28 Central Ministries/departments in terms of their obligation to earmark allocation in proportion to the population of STs. In accordance with these policy guidelines, 28 Central Ministries/Departments allocated Rs.64399.73 crore as TSP fund during 2011-12 to 2013-14.