“ANNUAL LEARNING EVENT’ C.A. IPAP Partners 15-17 May 2013

1. “ANNUAL LEARNING EVENT’C.A. IPAP Partners 15-17 May 2013 Center for Dalit Studies Advocacy on implementation process of Scheduled Castes Sub Plan (SCSP) – A pilot project in the state of Andhra Pradesh through capacity building and stake holders participation

2. Operational Area

3. Demography Profile (Coverage of House Holds)

4. Achievement Goal : • Empowerment of 4000 SC families through SCP, rights and entitlement by building people’ institutions and advocacy, research in 20 Gram Panchyats in 5 districts of the state of Andhra Pradesh, with focus on telangana region for paradigm shift in rights, livelihoods Indicator • Number of Advocacy efforts undertaken • No of new GOs or circulars issued due to efforts of the project • Number of parties pledging support for the SCP and Nodal Agency Contd…

5. Purpose To Ensure 75% of SCP reaches to the SC families in the project villages by building synergies between community and executive& political power through a rights based people institutions advocacy Contd...

8. What we expected and what we achieved

9. Significant Changes brought by IPAP project • At Community level: Created awareness on SC/ST sub plans to dalit Youth, community elders, Key stake holders and women. SC/ST welfare associations are motivated. Now, people are alert and aware. • At Project Covering Area level : Awareness camps conducted at village level. People questioned the government officials and elected leaders directly on SC/ST funds diversion. • At District Level: The officials at district level are sensitised about SC/ST Sub Plans. Civil society groups became very active. District administration started preparing the schemes department wise. • At State level: The Andhra Pradesh government passed the SC, ST Sub plan ACT, which came into effect from 24-01-2013. The ACT is first of its kind in the country was passed through Special Sessions of Assembly & Council. Nodal agency and State Development Council formed. Four Gos issued on implementation guidelines.

10. Policy changes • The Andhra Pradesh government made an ACT on 24-01-2013 to implement SC, ST Sub plans. This ACT is first of its kind in the country and was passed by historical special sessions of both the Houses of Assembly and Council. • The AP government constituted separate Nodal agencies for SCs/STs with Social Welfare/Tribal Welfare Ministers as Chairmen. Special Finance secretary is appointed in the nodal agency with Budget Release Order powers. Setting up of the State Development Council for SCs & STs Sub plan implementation headed by the Chief Minister. The members from civil society will be taken as members in the state development council

11. Key Lessons Learnt • Coordinating and bringing all the political party leaders and Media together on one platform to raise the voice. Involved all the stakeholders at various levels in the campaign. • Committed staff and knowledgeable Advisory board members. • Media Advocacy (Live Discussions by the TV chennels on SC/ST Sub Plan, especially HMTV and Sakshi TV Channels). Editorials on the issue in all the leading daily news papers including English dailies. • Meaningful and active support of all the political parties and Media. • a) Consistently motivating the concerned people b) RTI act as tool for data collection c) Documenting the efforts made • Working with Inclusive policy in bringing all the stake holders together to a common platform for the success of the ACT.

12. Increased Budgetary Allocations

13. Impact beyond project • Monitoring the reach of SCSP funds to the needy, prevention of diversion and lapsing of funds meant for SCs & STs. • Complete utilization of funds meant under different schemes to the target groups. • Closely working with local communities to access the benefits which are allocated under SCSP. Formation of monitoring committees at all levels to over see the progress of the implementation part of SCSP. • Sensitization of media at all India level on SCSP/TSP ACT to be more alert. • Campaign at national level for uniform policy by enacting an ACT in the Parliament. Strengthening the civil societies, community based organizations, Stake Holders on SCSP budget allocations and utilizations.

14. Impact of the ACT • New Schemes introduced. • Doubled the scholarships for the Students • Ten lakh grant to students going abroad for further studies • Indiramma houses cost increased to Rs one lakh from Rs 65,000; • Free power to dalits below 50 units • Construction of 300 new hostels accommodating 75,000 fresh students, • Purchase of land cost increased from Rs one lakh to Rs five lakhs etc

15. Display Materials • Material for political parties Round Table Conference. • Strategies for effective implementation of SCSP/TSP • ACT copy of AP • Cabinet Sub Committee Report on SCSP/TSP • Other Documents on SCSP/TSP

16. SC,ST committee report hailed THE Hans INDIA Hyderabad: Intellectuals and representatives of SC and ST organisations hailed the State government for announcing that it will confer legal status to the SC/ST sub plan to ensure proper utilisation of funds.Former Chief Secretary and Chairman of the JAC of sub plan implementation K MadhavaRao said that after the land struggle, the movement launched by SC organisations for their rights and on the sub plans was adjudged a ‘historical’ in the country. The organisations succeeded in convincing the government to give statutory status to the sub plan.Dalit Bahujan Front president Vinay Kumar pointed out that the government made only promises on constituting a nodal agency to oversee the implementation of sub plan in 2007, but no efforts were made so far. This resulted in the funds getting diverted to other departments, he added.Senior Journalist, Mallepalli Laxmaiah said he hoped that the government will fulfill the dreams of SC and ST communities by giving legal status to the sub plan and ensure that benefits of the schemes reach to all needy in time. He also wanted to punish the officials who misappropriated the funds. Kula VivakshaVyatirekaPorataSamithi, general secretary John Wesley demanded the government to convene special meetings regularly to find any irregularities in the implementation of the sub plan.Former MLA K Lingaiah, lauded the State government for accepting the demand to constitute a Cabinet Sub Committee to study the implementation of sub plan and its assurance to give legal status to it. Earlier, the SC organisation leaders met Deputy Chief Minister and Sub Committee, chiarman, D Raja Narasimha and congratulated him for successfully completing its study on sub plan and for submitting the report to the government on time. JAC Members with Deputy Chief Minister

17. Media workshop on Implementation on SCSP, K R Venugopal, IAS (Rtd) former Secretary to Prime Minister of India addressing on SCSP Mallepalli Laxmaiah founder chairman, CDS addressing to media people on SCSP

18. Discussion on Implementation of SCSP with Media Mallepalli Laxmaiah speaking on SCSP Sri D Raja MP, CPI, addressing the media on SCSP Prof. KS Chalam, speaking on SCSP Ramchandramurthy, CEO, HM TV addressing

19. Presented a PPT on SCSP in the Conference Hall, Legislative Assembly of A.P for SC & ST MLAs and Ministers.

20. A Representation to Hon’ble Speaker, AP LA

21. A Representation to Governor with regard to the implementation of SCSP & TSP making it mandatory

22. District level meetings on SCSP and TSP Dr. YB Satyanarayana, addressing the representatives of various NGOs and SC/ST associations of various districts

23. Round Table Conference on problems in the Social Welfare Hostels Dr YB Satyanarayana addressing on the problems of the students Sri Varla Ramaiah (TDP) addressing

24. Interacting with the Dalits and explaining about the SCSP Residents of the villages listening to participated in SCSP SHG women participated in SCSP awareness camp An open well without fence

25. Chalo Assembly

26. Thank You CENTRE FOR DALIT STUDIES (CDS) HYDERABAD