Ranchi, February 26 Jharkhand Minister Chamra Linda stated that the state government will enact a law to prevent the diversion of funds from the Tribal Sub-Plan (TSP), ensuring they are used solely for the benefit of the tribal population.
Responding to a question in the Jharkhand Assembly, the Minister for Scheduled Tribes, Scheduled Castes, Minorities, and Backward Classes stated that there is currently no monitoring agency for TSP funds in the state, leading to "misuse" by some departments.
"Besides our department, TSP funds are also received by other departments. The records of their use are kept only by those departments. While our funds for targeted schemes are secure, there have been instances of misuse by other departments diverting funds to non-scheduled areas," he claimed.
The Minister added that the state plans to study similar laws in Andhra Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh to enact a law for Jharkhand.
"The Andhra Pradesh government introduced an Act in 2013. We have decided to visit Andhra Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh to study their Acts so that a similar law can be enacted for Jharkhand," the Minister added.
The TSP funds aim to bridge the socio-economic gap between Scheduled Tribes and the general population, ensuring rapid development, poverty reduction, and protection against exploitation.
Congress MLA Rajesh Kachhap raised the issue of TSP funds during Question Hour and wanted to know if they were being diverted and used in non-scheduled areas.
Dumri MLA Jairam Mahto raised the issue of OBC students allegedly not receiving scholarships and sought a government response on whether the government is considering disbursing aid from state funds.
Responding to this, Linda accused the Centre of not releasing funds for OBC students' scholarships.
"For students in classes 1 to 8, there is no problem. The main challenge is for students from classes 9 to 12, as we have not received funds from the Centre. Scholarships are provided in a 60:40 ratio by the state and Centre, and under a clause, the state cannot release its share until the Centre disburses its portion," Linda said.
The Minister stated that they had requested Rs 67.88 crore in 2023-24, Rs 66.24 crore in 2024-25, and Rs 45.91 crore in 2025-26 from the Centre for OBC scholarships for pre-matric students, but received Rs 60.35 crore, Rs 12 crore, and Rs 3.95 crore in the respective years.
Similarly, the state had requested Rs 271 crore, Rs 325 crore, and Rs 370 crore in 2023-24, 2024-25, and 2025-26, respectively, from the Centre for post-matric students, but received Rs 77 crore in 2023-24, Rs 33 crore in 2024-25, and not a single penny in 2025-26, the Minister claimed.
"The government is concerned about the scholarship issue. Therefore, we are working to abolish this clause so that the state government can release its funds under the scholarship head," Linda said.
BJP legislator Amit Yadav alleged that the government is not purchasing seeds from farmers in the state but importing them from other states.
"The environment and soil conditions in Jharkhand are different. Seeds brought from other states could harm farmers," he said.
Responding, Agriculture Minister Shilpi Neha Tirkey said there is a memorandum of understanding with Jharkhand State Agriculture Development Corporation Limited for seed villages.
"The corporation will purchase seeds from these villages in the next two months, provided they meet all the quality production parameters," Tirkey said.
Congress MLAs Naman Bixal Kongari and Rajesh Kachhap raised the issue of violations of the Chotanagpur Tenancy Act.
Kongari questioned how building maps are approved for lands protected under the CNT Act.
Minister Dipak Birua said the government takes action in accordance with the law when a violation of the CNT Act is reported.
After the lunch break, the House assembled for discussion on the demand for grants for the Agriculture Department.
Taking part in the discussion, BJP MLA Naveen Jaisawal alleged that the government can only spend 36 per cent of the total allocation by January 31 in the current fiscal year.
He also raised the alleged poor procurement of paddy from farmers.
"Out of the target of 60 lakh quintals, the government has only procured 27 lakh quintals," he claimed.
Jaiswal also alleged irregularities in the state's air ambulance service.
"Despite government subsidies for the service, patients have to book air ambulances privately, paying hefty amounts," he said.
Agriculture Minister Tirkey refuted the expenditure claim, saying they have achieved 65 per cent utilisation of the total budget allocation for the current fiscal.
Later, the grant demand of Rs 2,534 crore for the Agriculture Department was passed by voice vote.
