Crude strategies of not implementing the budget and thereby letting the amount lapse have become the norm for budgetary allotments meant for SC/STs. A social welfare secretary in Karnataka once requested me to help him spend the allocated money by suggesting some policies that could be used appropriately so that the budget would not lapse. The money was allocated under the sub-component plan; however, due to the delay in depositing it in the department’s account it ran the risk of being taken away. Such tactics are used to derail the work of social welfare departments.
