Earmarking of Funds for the Development of the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes

(1) The Government shall, in every financial year, earmark funds for the development of the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes from the total welfare expenditure outlay of the State, in such manner as may be prescribed, which shall be not less than the proportion of the population of the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes in the State. (2) The unspent funds earmarked in a financial year to a department under sub-section (1) for the development of the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes, if any, except the exempted expenditure, shall be carried forward to the financial year next to the immediately succeeding financial year and it shall not be carried forward beyond that year. (3) Out of the funds so carried forward, two-thirds shall be allocated to the same department and the remaining one-third to the nodal department under a separate head of account and such carried forward funds shall be utilized by the respective departments in accordance with the guidelines issued by the Government, from time to time. (4) The funds for the development of the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes under sub-section (1) shall be earmarked in each financial year in accordance with the annual financial statement of the Government.