Delhi government has been diverting funds meant for the development of scheduled castes and tribes under the special component plan (SCP) to projects planned as infrastructure development for the Commonwealth Games.

Out of Rs 8074.17 crore which the Delhi government allocated for SCP in the last five years, Rs 744. 35 crore has been spent on CWG related projects.

In the year 2006-07, total expenditure of Delhi government under the SCP was Rs 884.59 crore. Out of this, Rs 1.97 crore was spent on CWG projects.

In 2010-11, Rs 288.44 from the SCP expenditure Rs 1901.56 crore was spent on CWG.

Delhi government’s social welfare department provided the information in response to an RTI application filed by the Housing and Land Rights Network- a non- government organization.

According to the information, the fund from SCP has been used for developing roads, making water treatment plants and upgrading street lights.

As per the norms of SCP set by the national development council and the planning commission, the fund allocated for SCP should target micro development of SC and ST.

“The routine practice of the diversion of funds shows a serious lapse in the functioning of the Delhi state government and exposes the complete lack of the monitoring function that central governmental bodies are supposed to play,” said Miloon Kothari, executive director, Housing and Land Rights Network.