The Hindu: Madurai: Friday, 7Th March 2025.
A Right to Information Act reply has revealed that the State government has not constituted the State-level Adi Dravidar welfare committee since 2020.
The committee, headed by the
Adi Dravidar and Tribal Welfare Minister, has department officials,
legislators, activists and academicians as its members.
Following a Government Order in 1995, the committee has been constituted periodically to monitor and ensure that the funds allocated for the department is being utilised and disbursed as intended.
S. Karthik, a Madurai-based activist, who had sought details of the committee under the RTI Act, said the Adi Dravidar and Tribal Welfare Department was created in 1988 by making changes to the Social Welfare Department. It was aimed at taking more schemes and programmes to people falling under the category.
Since its creation, the department largely focused on ensuring basic facilities in their localities, creating an enhanced lifestyle through sanctioning loans at subsidised interest, providing scholarship for school and college students, assisting students in their higher education, disbursal of land pattas and finding solutions to problems faced by the people of the community, among others.
As the department at large was found to be lacking in its functioning, a committee was ordered to be formed at a periodical interval of three years. “The committee would have six official members and 28 non-official members. As per the order, two meetings should be convened every year,” he said.
During the meeting, matters pertaining to facilities, quality of education at Adi Dravidar schools, availability of library, basic facilities at Adi Dravidar hostels, ensuring reservation in colleges and in government postings, and conducting awareness meetings regarding Tamil Nadu Adi Dravidar Housing and Development Corporation Limited schemes, among others, would be discussed among the members of the committee.
“The RTI reply said the committee has not been formed after 2020. As it has already been five years, a committee to have a check and balance over the spending of fund in the department is lacking,” he added.
More than ensuring proper spending of funds, the committee was most required to guarantee that the funds allocated for the department was being spent on the right people and whether even the last person was receiving it.
The Tamil Nadu government should take immediate steps to constitute a committee before the next budget session and allocate funds to catch up with the missed developments in the department, he said.
A Right to Information Act reply has revealed that the State government has not constituted the State-level Adi Dravidar welfare committee since 2020.
Following a Government Order in 1995, the committee has been constituted periodically to monitor and ensure that the funds allocated for the department is being utilised and disbursed as intended.
S. Karthik, a Madurai-based activist, who had sought details of the committee under the RTI Act, said the Adi Dravidar and Tribal Welfare Department was created in 1988 by making changes to the Social Welfare Department. It was aimed at taking more schemes and programmes to people falling under the category.
Since its creation, the department largely focused on ensuring basic facilities in their localities, creating an enhanced lifestyle through sanctioning loans at subsidised interest, providing scholarship for school and college students, assisting students in their higher education, disbursal of land pattas and finding solutions to problems faced by the people of the community, among others.
As the department at large was found to be lacking in its functioning, a committee was ordered to be formed at a periodical interval of three years. “The committee would have six official members and 28 non-official members. As per the order, two meetings should be convened every year,” he said.
During the meeting, matters pertaining to facilities, quality of education at Adi Dravidar schools, availability of library, basic facilities at Adi Dravidar hostels, ensuring reservation in colleges and in government postings, and conducting awareness meetings regarding Tamil Nadu Adi Dravidar Housing and Development Corporation Limited schemes, among others, would be discussed among the members of the committee.
“The RTI reply said the committee has not been formed after 2020. As it has already been five years, a committee to have a check and balance over the spending of fund in the department is lacking,” he added.
More than ensuring proper spending of funds, the committee was most required to guarantee that the funds allocated for the department was being spent on the right people and whether even the last person was receiving it.
The Tamil Nadu government should take immediate steps to constitute a committee before the next budget session and allocate funds to catch up with the missed developments in the department, he said.
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