The Telangana government on Wednesday introduced in the Assembly a Bill to replace the SC/ST sub-plan Act with a legislation constituting a special development fund for scheduled castes and scheduled tribes, as there is no longer a plan expenditure in the budgeting system from 2017-2018. Called the Telangana State Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Special Development Fund (Planning, Allocation and Utilisation of Financial Resources) Act, 2017, the Bill is aimed at accelerated development of the two communities with focus on economic development, education, and human resource, security, and social empowerment. It was tabled by Scheduled Castes Development Minister G. Jagadish Reddy. Funds earmarked A portion of the overall money allocated for implementation of government schemes will be earmarked for SCs and STs, in proportion to their population, as the special development fund. Under the fund, all government departments will prepare an action plan for SCs and STs separately to promote equity in development among various social groups within the sections. Each department will submit to the nodal agencies schemes proposed to be included in the funds. Hundred per cent of the scheme cost will be allocated and accounted for by the fund. State Council If any amount remains unspent, it will be carried over to the next financial year in the same proportion on the basis of actual expenditure of schemes in that year. A State Council, headed by the Chief Minister, will be constituted to exercise powers conferred under the Act. The Ministers of SCs Development and Tribal Welfare will head the nodal agencies to discharge their functions. The latest Bill was suggested by a joint committee of SCs and STs that went into the SC/ST sub-plan Act of 2013 enacted in the erstwhile Andhra Pradesh and adopted by the Telangana government later. Land encroachment A separate Bill to remove the disqualification of TRS MLC Mohammed Saleem as chairman of the Telangana State Wakf Board by amending the Payment of Salaries and Pensions Act was introduced. Another Bill to deal with encroachments on Bhoodan lands was also tabled.

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