After quota in jobs and academic institutions for the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, there is a proposal to earmark 22.5 per cent of the total budget for their welfare. The sub-group of Ministers on the budgetary allocation has agreed on the budgetary quota, a development that would open a Pandora's Box for the Centre already beleaguered on the quota issue.

Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee is the chairman of the sub-group on the budgetary mechanism for the Scheduled Castes' special component plan. Sources say Union Fertilisers, Chemicals and Steel Minister Ram Vilas Paswan raised the issue of 22.5 per cent quota for the SC/ST in the budget. "There was total unanimity over the issue in the meeting on 13 June 2006," the sources say.

The day might not be far off when the OBC leaders also join the SC/ST bandwagon for 27 per cent share in the budget. At present, SC/STs have 22.5 per cent reservation in jobs and Government academic institutions. OBCs have 27 per cent quota in jobs, and the Centre now proposes to get them quota in centrally funded academic institutions too.

Paswan says the Government would only ensure all round development of SC/STs by earmarking 22.5 per cent of the budget for their welfare. "The recommendation is in consonance with the spirit of the Government's objective behind setting up the Committee of Ministers on Dalit Affairs. There was total consensus on the matter in the meeting held."

Paswan, who chairs the sub-group of Ministers on the basic amenities for SC/STs in the rural and urban areas, says: "Our sub-group of Ministers recently decided to develop all villages with 50 per cent SC/ST population as the Prime Minister's Model Villages. Every such village will have all the basic facilities."

Asserting the move would change the face of the country in five years time, Paswan, also the president of the Lok Janshakti Party, says: "There are around 38,000 villages where SC/ST population is up to 50 per cent. All these villages would be developed as model villages in three phases. The Planning Commission has agreed to finance the initiative."