Award to Village Panchayats for Promoting Education & Socio Economic Development of Scheduled Castes

AWARD TO VILLAGE PANCHAYATS FOR PROMOTING EDUCATION & SOCIO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OF SCHEDULED CASTES (NEW SCHEME)

AIM & OBJECTIVE

It has been observed that the village Panchayats can play an important role in the overall development of Scheduled Castes. There are total 12,238 villages in the State of Punjab out of which 3,788 villages are identified as SC dominated villages with the 40% and above SC population. For the overall Socio-economic development of these SC villages department of welfare proposes a scheme to award those village Panchayats which will show outstanding performance in removing Untouchability under the Protection of Civil Rights Act, 1955, making efforts for providing monetary relief to the victim of atrocities under Scheduled Castes & Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocity) Act, 1989, bringing down the drop-out rate of SC and ensure their 100% enrolment of SC in Govt. schools, empowering of SC women, providing 80% to 90% toilet facilities, 100% Pucca street and drains etc., in the village. The main thrust of the scheme is the bringing down the drop out rate of SC students and their 100% enrolment of SC students in govt. schools of the villages.

RATE OF AWARD AND COVERAGE

Under this scheme, an award of Rs. 50,000/- would be given to each Panchayat which will show outstanding performance for promoting education and socio development of Scheduled Castes. The award amount given to Panchayats will be spent only development of village subject to the condition that 25% of the total award amount will be spent on the overall development/empowerment of Scheduled Caste women.

NORMS/CONDITIONS FOR THE SELECTION OF VILLAGE PANCHAYATS

The selection of village Panchayats would be made by the District Level Committee consisting of the following members:-

1. Deputy Commissioner Chairman

2. Sub-Divisional Magistrate (Concerned S/Divn.) Member

3. District Development & Panchayat Officer Member

4. District Welfare Officer Member Secretary.

While selecting the village panchayat for the award, the following guide-lines will be kept in view by the District Level Committee:-

(i) Compliance of provisions of Prevention of Atrocity Act, 1989 and Protection of Civil Rights Act, 1955.

(i) To ensure that there is no drop out in Educational Institutions and their 100% enrolment of SC students in Govt. schools of the villages.

(ii) To provide basic amenities such as drinking water, electricity of village, repair of roads, drains etc. in SC basties.

(iii) To provide facility of waterborne latrines in the highly populated basties of SCs.

(iv) Empowerment of women by involving women of SC families in the Panchayat development works.

(v) Providing training to SC women in various States and assisting them to get loan from Financial Institutions/Banks on easy installments to make themselves reliant.

(vi) Efforts to eliminate social evils such as female feticide, Dowry, Drug addiction etc. and aware SCs about their rights & duties for the development of society.

PROCEDURE FOR PAYMENT

The District Welfare Officer will send the recommendations of eligible village Panchayats duly recommended by the District Level Committee to the Director, Welfare of Scheduled Castes & Backward Classes, Punjab, who will issue the sanction in the name of eligible Panchayats and send the award money to the concerned District Welfare Officer in the shape of RTRs. The District Welfare Officers will be overall responsible for proper utilization of funds on the development works of village and sending the utilization certificate to the Director Welfare, Punjab. The Deputy Commissioners will honour the Panchayats by disbursing RTRs on National Days/relevant occasions such as on Republic Day (26th Jan) or on Independence Day (15th August).

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