The Hindu: Madurai: Thursday, 5Th March 2026.
A recent Right to
Information (RTI) Act reply data has exposed a severe and systematic reduction
in the Union Government’s funding for the Tamil Nadu Adi Dravidar and Tribal
Welfare Department. The figures revealed a blatant disparity, with annual
allocations plummeting from a peak of ₹1,553 crore to a mere ₹288 crore in
recent years.
While the Union government maintained that it prioritises the uplift of marginalised communities, the financial trail tells a different story, said S. Karthik, an activist based in Madurai.
“Over an 11-year period (2014-2025), a total of ₹6,998.82 crore was allocated,” he added.
The RTI report highlighted a disturbing trend that has left State welfare projects in limbo. “At a high point (2018-2019), the Centre allocated ₹1,553.48 crore, making a period of robust support for development schemes. In the 2022-2023 period, the funding was slashed to just ₹159.78 crore, a staggering 90% reduction compared to the 2018 peak,” he added.
Meanwhile, the latest allocation (2024-2025) stood at ₹288.84 crore, failing to recover even to half of the previous decade’s average, he noted.
Mr. Karthik stated that the drastic budgetary squeeze was not just a matter of accounting. “It represents a wholesale marginalisation of the Adi Dravidar and Tribal populations,” he alleged.
While it has stagnated the educational progress by Interrupting of post-matric scholarships and hostel infrastructure upgrades, it has also made a halt in specialised entrepreneurship and skill-training programmes designed for tribal youth, he pointed out.
“Significant delays in housing and community development projects that have been the backbone of social justice in Tamil Nadu for decades will be also be severely be affected by the reduce in fund allocation,” Mr. Karthik said.
As the RTI findings have sparked immediate demands for accountability, measures like the Union government ensuring a minimum annual allocation of ₹1,500 crore to sustain basic welfare and growth targets, should be taken.
“We also urge Chief Minister M.K. Stalin to take special notice of this fiscal discrimination and exert high-level pressure on the Union Government to secure the state’s rightful share. As the gap between the 2018 peak and current figures is huge, the future of several key welfare schemes remains uncertain, sparking fears of a permanent setback in the socio-economic development of these communities,” he noted.
While the Union government maintained that it prioritises the uplift of marginalised communities, the financial trail tells a different story, said S. Karthik, an activist based in Madurai.
“Over an 11-year period (2014-2025), a total of ₹6,998.82 crore was allocated,” he added.
The RTI report highlighted a disturbing trend that has left State welfare projects in limbo. “At a high point (2018-2019), the Centre allocated ₹1,553.48 crore, making a period of robust support for development schemes. In the 2022-2023 period, the funding was slashed to just ₹159.78 crore, a staggering 90% reduction compared to the 2018 peak,” he added.
Meanwhile, the latest allocation (2024-2025) stood at ₹288.84 crore, failing to recover even to half of the previous decade’s average, he noted.
Mr. Karthik stated that the drastic budgetary squeeze was not just a matter of accounting. “It represents a wholesale marginalisation of the Adi Dravidar and Tribal populations,” he alleged.
While it has stagnated the educational progress by Interrupting of post-matric scholarships and hostel infrastructure upgrades, it has also made a halt in specialised entrepreneurship and skill-training programmes designed for tribal youth, he pointed out.
“Significant delays in housing and community development projects that have been the backbone of social justice in Tamil Nadu for decades will be also be severely be affected by the reduce in fund allocation,” Mr. Karthik said.
As the RTI findings have sparked immediate demands for accountability, measures like the Union government ensuring a minimum annual allocation of ₹1,500 crore to sustain basic welfare and growth targets, should be taken.
“We also urge Chief Minister M.K. Stalin to take special notice of this fiscal discrimination and exert high-level pressure on the Union Government to secure the state’s rightful share. As the gap between the 2018 peak and current figures is huge, the future of several key welfare schemes remains uncertain, sparking fears of a permanent setback in the socio-economic development of these communities,” he noted.
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