In the democratic political system, either we work as the government or with the government if there has to be any significant change in the lives of the people through state intervention. If the policies of the state are useful to a particular community or not is not determined, then the effectiveness and efficiency of the policies cannot be measured. In the absence of such measurements, it is difficult to make the policies useful.

Such is the case with the budgetary policy of the Government that if it understood, one can understand that the party does not do much to the welfare of the SCs and STs. If one analyses, the recent budget and its component called SCSP and TSP (these categories are largely gone, but there is a. budgetary allocation to the SCs and STs), only 31 out of 279 schemes SCs and 52 out of 305 schemes for STs appropriate, accessible, and available. Eight of the important schemes of the SCs/STs are underfunded. It will show how the policy is completely flawed as far as the spending of the money is concerned.

This is one of the important, or perhaps, the most important policy for ensuring economic justice for SCs and STs. Looking at the other policies and their preliminary analysis, one can easily find out that they have not yielded expected benefits to SCs and STs. The analysis of the policy begins with the identification of the problems and possible ways of resolving the problems based on the pieces of evidence. All the solutions are ranked and studied and then the most effective solution is found along with the design mechanism of its delivery. The step is taken at the legislative level and at times the executive level for its implementation. Thus the process of policy analysis also involves convincing those who are having the power to pass and implement the policies.

This is the entire process that needs an effective mobilization of the intellect and power and therefore the Ambedkarite community must be prepared for this. The analysis of the budgetary policy should become the communal process so that effective pressure can be brought on the policy makers and implementers.

Author – Mangesh Dahiwale, Human Rights Activist

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