Chapter II INSTITUTIONAL ARRANGEMENT

The State Council for Development of the Scheduled Castes or the Scheduled Tribes.-

1. (1) As soon as may be, after the commencement of this Act, the Government shall, by notification, constitute a Council to-be known as the State Council for the Development of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes to exercise the powers conferred and to perform the functions assigned to it under the Act and the rules made there under.
2. (2) The State council shall consist of the following, namely:-
   • (a) The Chief Minister - Chairman
   • (b) The Minister for Social Welfare - Ex-officio Member
   • (c) The Minister for Parliamentary Affairs and Legislation - Ex-officio Member
   • (d) The Minister for Rural Development and Panchayat Raj - Ex-officio Member
   • (e) The Minister for Higher Education - Ex-officio Member
   • (f) The Minister for Revenue - Ex-officio Member
   • (g) Five MLAs or MLCs or MPs belonging to SC/ST as nominated by the Government - Members
   • (h) The Development Commissioner & Additional Chief Secretary to Government - Ex-officio Member
     • (i) The Secretary/Principal Secretary, Finance Department - Ex-officio Member
   • (j) The Secretary/Principal Secretary, Planning Department - Ex-officio Member
   • (k) Secretary/Principal Secretary, Social Welfare Department - Ex-officio Member Secretary
3. (3) The Secretary to Government incharge of the Departments for which allocations are made shall be special invitees of the State Council.
4. (4) The term of the nominated MLAs or MLCs or MPs shall be thirty months.
5. (5) The nominated members shall be eligible for such allowances and fee as may be prescribed.
6. (6) The State council shall meet at least twice in a year.

Functions of the State Council.- The State Council shall perform the following functions, namely:-

1. (a) advise the State Government on all the policy matters relating to the Scheduled Castes Sub-Plan/Tribal Sub-Plan;
2. (b) suggest measures for proper planning and implementation of the schemes by the departments;
3. (c) approve the annual Scheduled Castes Sub-Plan/Tribal Sub-Plan proposals of the Departments; and
4. (d) perform such other functions as may be prescribed.

Nodal Agency and Nodal Department.-

1. (1) The Nodal Agency for the Scheduled Castes Sub-Plan/Tribal Sub-Plan shall consist of the following, namely:-
2. (1) The Minister for Social Welfare - Chairman
3. (2) The Development Commissioner and Additional Chief Secretary to Government - Ex-officio Member
4. (3) The Secretary/Principal Secretary to Government Social Welfare Department - Ex-officio Member
5. (4) The Secretary/Principal Secretary to Government Finance Department - Ex-officio Member
6. (5) The Secretary/Principal Secretary to Government Planning Department - Ex-officio Member
7. (6) The Secretary/Principal Secretary of all other Departments for which allocations are to be made shall be Special Invitees - Ex-officio Members
8. (7) The Director, Scheduled Tribes Department. - Convener TSP
9. (8) The Ex-officio Commissioner, Social Welfare Department. - Convener SCSP
10. (2) The Social Welfare Department shall be the Nodal Department for assisting the Nodal Agency to perform its functions and exercise its powers.

Functions of the Nodal Agency.-The Nodal Agency with the assistance of the respective Nodal Department shall perform the following functions, namely:-

1. (1) Evaluate and appraise the Scheduled Castes Sub-Plan or Tribal Sub-Plan proposed by the departments for ensuring conformity to the provisions of this Act;
2. (2) Prepare the State Scheduled Castes Sub-Plan/Tribal Sub-Plan for placing before the State Council for Development of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes for consideration and approval;
3. (3) Review the implementation and monitoring of the Scheduled Castes Sub-Plan/Tribal Sub-Plan programme;
4. (4) Identify impediments and suggest measures for overcoming the impediments;
5. (5) Co-ordinate with the departments for preparation of the State level and district level Scheduled Castes Sub-Plan/Tribal Sub-Plan;
6. (6) Maintain transparency in expenditure; maintain scheme wise; district wise, village wise and beneficiary wise details as may be prescribed; set up a web portal for tracking the progress of the implementation, expenditure, output and outcome indicators as may be prescribed of Scheduled castes Sub-plan/Tribal Sub-Plan;
7. (7) Facilitate at least annual social auditing of expenditure of Scheduled Castes Sub-Plan or Tribal Sub-Plan funds and facilitate analysis of improvement in Human Development Index against the projections for the State and district:

Allocation of Scheduled Castes Sub-Plan fund and Tribal Sub-Plan fund for financing the Scheduled Castes Sub-Plan/Tribal Sub-Plan Schemes included in the Sub-Plan Allocation of Scheduled Castes Sub-Plan fund and Tribal Sub-Plan fund for financing the Scheduled Castes Sub-Plan/Tribal Sub-Plan Schemes included in the Sub-Plan.- The Nodal Agency, while indicating allocation of the Scheduled Castes Sub-Plan or Tribal Sub-Plan Fund to the Scheduled Castes Sub-Plan or Tribal Sub-Plan schemes shall follow the following norms namely:-

1. (a) for schemes exclusively benefiting the Scheduled Castes or the Scheduled Tribes individuals or the Scheduled Castes or Scheduled Tribes households 100% of scheme cost shall be allocated and accounted for under the Scheduled Castes Sub-Plan or Tribal Sub-Plan fund;
2. (b) for schemes benefiting the Scheduled Castes or the Scheduled Tribes habitations, 100% of scheme cost shall be allocated and accounted for under the Scheduled Castes Sub-Plan or the Tribal Sub-Plan fund. In case of other habitations the cost shall be allocated and accounted for under the Scheduled Caste Sub-Plan or Tribal Sub-Plan in proportion of the population of the Scheduled Castes or the Scheduled Tribes;
3. (c) for general social sector schemes, that is education, health, women and child, labour, physically handicapped included in the Sub-Plans, benefiting the Scheduled Castes or Scheduled Tribes individuals or the Scheduled Castes or Scheduled Tribes households, along with others, the scheme cost shall be allocated and accounted for under Scheduled Castes Sub-Plan or Tribal Sub-Plan, in proportion to the Scheduled Castes or Scheduled Tribe population;
4. (d) In respect of non-divisible infrastructure works, a portion of the scheme cost as may be determined by the Government shall be deemed to have been provided for the Scheduled Caste sub-plan and Tribal sub-plan respectively.

Recommendation by the Nodal Agencies and the Nodal Department.-The schemes that fulfill the norms laid down in the Act shall be recommended by the Nodal Agency for inclusion in the annual Plan proposals of the departments and aggregated for placing before the State Council for Development of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes for consideration and approval as pre-budget process.

Administrative and technical support to the Nodal Department.- The Government shall provide required Technical and other staff to the Nodal Department with an Administrative and Technical Support Unit as may be prescribed, to perform the functions and discharge the duties assigned to it and to assist the Nodal Agency.

Department Level Sub-Plan Support Unit.- The departments as identified by the State Council may establish a Sub-Plan Support Unit, as may be prescribed to manage the respective Scheduled Castes sub-Plan and Tribal Sub-Plan.

Implementation of the scheduled castes sub-plan or tribal sub-plan schemes in districts.-

1. (1) There shall be a District Monitoring Committee in each district, which shall be responsible for implementation of the Scheduled Castes Sub-Plan or Tribal Sub-Plan in the district consisting of the following members, namely:-
2. (1) The Deputy Commissioner - Chairman
3. (2) Members of Legislative Assembly representing a part or whole of the district whose Constituency lie within district and Members of Legislative Council who are registered as electors within the district. - Member
4. (3) Chief Executive Officer of the Zilla Panchayat - Member
5. (4) The Joint Director, Agriculture - Member
6. (5) The Executive Engineer, PWD - Member
7. (6) The District Health Officer - Member
8. (7) The District level officers respective Departments for which allocations are made shall be Special Invitees. - Members
9. (8) District Social Welfare Officer - Convener SCSP
10. (9) The District Tribal Welfare Officer or Project Director for the Scheduled Tribes. - Convener TSP
11. (2) The Zilla Panchayat and the District Monitoring Committee of each district shall review the implementation of the Scheduled Castes Sub-Plan or Tribal Sub-Plan periodically.

Institutional strengthening for effective implementation and Monitoring.- The respective departments of Government shall take such measures as may be necessary for institutional strengthening at State level and District level Offices by providing necessary guidelines, staff and training to the staff in the manner prescribed, for effective implementation and monitoring.