New Delhi, Aug 31 (IANS) Home Minister P. Chidambaram Tuesday admitted that Delhi government has violated guidelines in the diversion of plan funds for scheduled castes and tribes to finance projects for Commonwealth Games.
‘In our view of the guidelines of 2006, these appear to be wrong,’ Chidambaram said in Rajya Sabha, during a discussion on the alleged diversion of funds from scheduled castes and tribes for the Commonwealth Games.
Earlier in the month, Rajya Sabha had witnessed disruptions by members of the Bahujan Samaj Party over the issue, which came to light through a Right to Information application.
As per the information given by Delhi government through RTI, nearly Rs.744.35 crore from Delhi’s special component plan (SCP), which is meant for improving the standard of living of the poor sections of the community through various government schemes and programmes, was diverted to the Games projects.
Chidambaram said that Delhi government had got around Rs.8,000 crore for five years from 2006-7 to 2009-10, under the special component plan.
He noted, that as was common practice with various other state governments, Delhi had divided this fund into two categories, divisible and indivisible. The divisible category was for schemes which affected the scheduled castes and tribes directly.
‘While Rs.983 crore was in the divisible category, the rest – Rs.7,100 crore – was in the indivisible (category). Out of that (indivisible category), Rs.678 crore was contributed to CWG projects,’ he said.
‘This seems to be prima-facie wrong,’ Chidambaram admitted, but added: ‘This happens not just in NCT, but in all states.’
He said that Delhi government had told him that the amount diverted will be added to the plan funds for the next financial year.
The minister said that the Planning Commission was seized of the matter and had set up a committee to look into the diversion of funds in all states.
