Spend SC/ST funds for their welfare or go to jail: CM warns officials

coastaldigest.com news network

September 29, 2018

Bengaluru, Sept 29: The Chief Minister of Karnataka has warned that officials will be jailed if they fail to spend funds set aside for development of SCs/STs under the Karnataka Scheduled Castes Sub-Plan and Tribal Sub Plan (Planning, Allocation and Utilisation of Financial Resources) Act 2013.

“This year onwards, we are implementing the punishment clause in the Act, and I have told officials that they will be in serious trouble if they don’t spend the funds,” said H D Kumaraswamy, who’s also the chairman of the SCP/TSP council, after holding an expenditure review.

The Act, implemented by the previous Siddaramaiah government, mandates the government spend nearly 25 per cent of budgetary allocation on development of the SC and ST communities.

For 2018-19, the government has set aside Rs 29,000 crore to be spent under the Act. The CM said though Rs 27,000 crore was earmarked during the Congress regime, it was not fully utilised. “Some departments have parked the unspent funds in banks. We want to put an end to it and ensure that all funds are used,” he added.

The CM said though the Act was implemented in 2013 and funds were being released, there were no guidelines on spending the money. “We have framed the guidelines besides starting the process of identifying beneficiaries. According to estimates, there are 1.4 crore beneficiaries,” Kumaraswamy added.

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QR-code tips power Mangaluru's major drug bust: 25 arrested in 2 weeks

News Network

December 16,2025

Mangaluru, Dec 16: The Mangaluru City police have significantly escalated their campaign against drug trafficking, arresting 25 individuals and booking 12 cases under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act between November 30 and December 13. The crackdown resulted in the seizure of a substantial quantity of illicit substances, including 685.6 grams of MDMA and 1.5 kg of ganja.

The success of this recent drive has been significantly boosted by the city’s innovative, QR code-based anonymous reporting system.

"The anonymous reporting system has received an encouraging response. Several recent arrests were made based on inputs received through this system, helping police tighten the noose around drug peddlers," said the City Police Commissioner.

The latest arrests contribute to a robust year-to-date record, underscoring the police's relentless commitment to combating the drug menace.

Up to December 14 this year, the police have registered a total of 107 cases of drug peddling, leading to the arrest of 219 peddlers. Furthermore, they have booked 562 cases of drug consumption, resulting in the arrest of 671 individuals.

The scale of the seizure for the year reflects the magnitude of the problem being tackled: police have seized 320.6 kg of ganja worth ₹88.7 lakh and 1.4 kg of MDMA valued at ₹1.2 crore. Other significant seizures include hydro-weed ganja worth ₹94.7 lakh and cocaine worth ₹1.9 lakh, among others.

The Commissioner emphasized a policy of rigorous enforcement: "We ensure that peddlers are caught red-handed so that they cannot later dispute the case or claim innocence."

To counter the rising trend of substance abuse among youth, the Mangaluru City police have rolled out uniform guidelines for random drug testing across educational institutions.

As part of the drive, tests were conducted in approximately 100 institutions, screening an estimated 5,500 to 6,000 students in the first phase. 20 students tested positive for drug consumption during the initial screening.

Students who tested positive have been provided counselling and are scheduled for re-testing in the second quarter. The testing will also be expanded to students not covered in the first phase. In a move to ensure strict implementation, police personnel were deployed in mufti in some institutions. Reiterating a zero-tolerance stance, the Commissioner confirmed that random testing will continue, and colleges have also been instructed to conduct drug tests at the time of admission to deter substance abuse from an early stage.

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