An Economic Analysis of the Special Component Plan for Scheduled Castes - A Case-Study of Mysore District

The socioeconomic development of the scheduled castes (SCs) and their respectful integration with the mainstream and bringing them on par with the others is a constitutional responsibility and a national goal. Achieving this goal calls for effective planning and implementation of programmes for the development of SCs. The special component plan strategy is essentially a means of earmarking benefits to the SCs in physical and financial terms in each sector of the state plan/central plan. In this article, an attempt has been made to analyse the agricultural dimensions of SC development with special reference to the special component plan approach under Mysore district. Agricultural development programmes were initiated for improving the socioeconomic status of the SCs in society. The impact of the special component plan on the SCs with reference to agricultural development programmes in Mysore district is seen here. This paper has concluded that income-generating programmes initiated under the special component plan for the economic development of the SCs are not making a desired level of impact on their socioeconomic status at the policy and implementation levels. There is an urgent need to enhance budgetary allocation with effective monitoring and evolution of physical and financial targets of SCP programmes, so that the intended benefits could reach poor SC families (Maurya, 2001).