Bengaluru, Mar 3 (NationPress) The Karnataka BJP has raised serious allegations against the state government, accusing it of misappropriating funds designated for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes under the Special Component Plan (SCP) and Tribal Sub-Plan (TSP). The party described this action as a profound betrayal of the Dalit community.

The Leader of the Opposition in the Karnataka Legislative Council, Chalavadi Narayanaswamy, stated that the government has diverted approximately Rs 39,000 crore from SCP and TSP allocations over the last three years for unintended uses.

He noted that over 60 Dalit organizations convened to express their collective outrage over the alleged fund diversion.

During the meeting, representatives voiced their concerns that the government is misleading the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe communities and called for a significant agitation against the administration.

Narayanaswamy questioned the financial structure of the state’s guarantee schemes, stating that these programs demand around Rs 52,000 crore annually.

“Having allocated Rs 52,000 crore in the Budget, why are funds from SCP and TSP being utilized for the same purpose?” he inquired.

Additionally, he questioned whether financial support provided to other communities is drawn from their respective development corporations.

He queried if benefits for Vokkaliga women come from the Vokkaliga Development Corporation, if allocations for Lingayats are sourced from the Lingayat Development Corporation, and whether guarantees for Muslims are funded through the Minorities Development Corporation.

“Why are the earmarked funds for Scheduled Castes and Tribes being misused?” he emphasized.

Narayanaswamy also claimed that while the government asserts that SCP and TSP allocations are around Rs 42,000 crore, the actual benefits reaching SC and ST communities are significantly lower.

He explained that out of the total allocation across 34 departments, Rs 21,000 crore is distributed among them, and of the remaining amount, about Rs 14,000 crore is allocated for guarantee schemes. This results in only about Rs 7,000 crore being effectively available for the targeted communities.

“If merely Rs 7,000 crore reaches them, why claim an allocation of Rs 42,000 crore?” he questioned.

Notable attendees of the meeting included former Union Minister A. Narayanaswamy, former Minister N. Mahesh, and retired IAS officer Lakshminarayan, among others.

These allegations arise ahead of the state Budget, with the Opposition ramping up its critique of the government's management of welfare allocations and the execution of guarantee schemes.