Govt strengthens oversight as DAPSC expenditure trails revised estimates
New Delhi, Aug 9
The actual expenditure under the Development Action Plan for Scheduled Castes has remained below the revised budget estimates every year since 2020-21, with fund utilisation falling to 85.65 per cent in 2025-26, the Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment said on Sunday.
The government said it has intensified monitoring of DAPSC allocations across 38 ministries and departments to ensure optimal utilisation of funds earmarked for the welfare and development of Scheduled Castes.
"The government has informed the Rajya Sabha that, as per the NITI Aayog Guidelines, 2017 for the Development Action Plan for Scheduled Castes (DAPSC), earlier known as the Scheduled Caste Sub-Plan (SCSP), 38 Ministries/Departments of the government are earmarking funds across various schemes for the welfare and development of Scheduled Castes," it said.
Replying to a question raised by Rajya Sabha member Golla Baburao, Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment Ramdas Athawale said that actual expenditure under DAPSC has consistently remained below the Revised Estimates (RE) during every financial year from 2020-21 to 2025-26.
According to data shared by the Ministry, the utilisation of revised allocations stood at 81.61 per cent in 2020-21.
The figure improved to 91.22 per cent in 2021-22 and 91.90 per cent in 2022-23. Utilisation further rose to 93.83 per cent in 2023-24 before easing to 92.57 per cent in 2024-25 and 85.65 per cent in 2025-26.
The government said that funds earmarked under DAPSC are meant exclusively for the welfare of Scheduled Castes.
However, it noted that full utilisation is not achieved in some cases because of the general nature of certain schemes being implemented by ministries and departments.
Athawale said the Department of Social Justice and Empowerment closely monitors the utilisation of DAPSC funds by the obligated ministries and departments through periodic review meetings chaired by the Minister and Secretary of the department.
— IANS
Reader Comments
The 85.65% utilisation in 2025-26 is concerning. We need more accountability at the district level. The review meetings are good, but they should also involve civil society organisations to track actual implementation on the ground. Accountability is the key!
The variation between 81% and 93% over the years shows that some ministries are doing better than others. Those with general schemes shouldn't use that as an excuse. They can still create specific components for SC welfare. The government must identify and fix the laggards.
Good that the government is being transparent about this in Rajya Sabha. But I wish they would also publish state-wise data. Some states with weaker administrative capacity probably under-utilise more. Targeted assistance could help those states improve. 📊
While the monitoring is welcome, I think we need more clarity on why the utilisation dropped from 93% to 85% this year. Was it due to administrative delays, or are there genuine reasons? A detailed explanation would help build trust in the system.
Interesting data from the Indian government. The consistent improvement from 2020-21 to 2023-24 shows commitment, but the drop this year is a bit worrying. Perhaps the government should consider quarterly reviews instead of periodic ones to catch issues early.
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