SC Welfare Funds Diverted Again? VBA Opposes Maharashtra's ₹2.8 Crore Grant to Warakari Corporation

Mumbai- The Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) has strongly objected to the Maharashtra government's decision to allocate ₹2.80 crore through the Social Justice and Special Assistance Department to the Chief Minister Warakari Corporation for the Ashadhi Ekadashi Wari, alleging that funds meant for the welfare of Scheduled Castes (SCs) are being repeatedly diverted to schemes unrelated to the community's development.

The objection comes after the Maharashtra government issued a Government Resolution (G.R.) on July 2, approving financial assistance of ₹2.80 crore for distributing grants of ₹20,000 each to 1,400 dindis accompanying the ten honorary palkhis participating in the annual Ashadhi Ekadashi pilgrimage to Pandharpur.

It may be noted that the Warkari tradition is a 700-year-old devotional movement in Hinduism, mainly located in Maharashtra, India. Followers called warkaris worship Vitthal (a form of Krishna) at the Pandharpur temple. The tradition is famous for its massive, annual foot pilgrimage called Vari.

According to the Government Resolution, the expenditure will be met under the Social Justice and Special Assistance Department through the budget head 2235 – Social Security and Welfare, specifically under "Assistance to the Chief Minister Warakari Corporation (2235D963)." The resolution authorises the distribution of the funds through the Chief Minister Warakari Corporation, with the Divisional Commissioner, Pune, designated as the Controlling Officer and the Tehsildar (General Administration), Divisional Commissioner's Office, Pune, appointed as the Drawing and Disbursing Officer.

Citing the government order, VBA State General Secretary Rajendra Patode alleged that the Social Justice Department's budget, particularly funds earmarked for Scheduled Castes, has repeatedly been utilised for schemes that do not directly address the educational, economic and social welfare needs of Dalit communities.

Patode claimed that this was not an isolated instance. He alleged that funds from the same department had previously been used for the Farmer Honour Scheme, the Chief Minister Majhi Ladki Bahin Scheme, and the Chief Minister Tirthdarshan Scheme. According to him, the latest allocation to the Chief Minister Warakari Corporation continues the same pattern.

Questioning the government's budgetary priorities, Patode said that if such welfare schemes are to be implemented, they should be financed from the state's general budget rather than from funds allocated for Scheduled Castes. He alleged that diverting resources earmarked for Dalit welfare amounted to depriving the community of its constitutional entitlements.

He further argued that several critical issues affecting Scheduled Castes including student scholarships, educational assistance, economic development initiatives and other welfare measures remain pending, while crores of rupees are being sanctioned for other purposes.

The VBA also contended that the absence of a separate legal framework safeguarding the Scheduled Castes budget has enabled successive governments to reallocate these funds at their discretion. The party described the practice as a "financial emergency" for Dalit communities and called for a decisive public movement against what it termed the diversion of constitutionally intended welfare resources.

The Maharashtra government's resolution, however, states that the financial assistance has been sanctioned to facilitate the annual Ashadhi Ekadashi Wari at Pandharpur. The preamble of the G.R. describes the Wari as an integral part of Maharashtra's cultural and spiritual heritage, emphasising its role in promoting social harmony and the teachings of saints. It also notes that the increasing number of pilgrims has made better planning and support necessary and that the Chief Minister Warakari Corporation was established to implement welfare measures for Warkaris and kirtankars. As in the previous two years, the government has approved grants of ₹20,000 each to 1,400 dindis participating in this year's pilgrimage.

The decision has reignited debate over the utilisation of funds administered by the Social Justice and Special Assistance Department. VBA has demanded that allocations intended for Scheduled Castes be used exclusively for the educational, social and economic development of the community and has called for legal safeguards to prevent their diversion to unrelated schemes.