I submit that the Word ‘average’ should not be there. When the period is reduced from three to two years I think the question of average did not arise. The word ‘average’ might be dropped and we might say ‘excess expenditure should be provided for’. The expenditure is rising every year and even the expenditure of one year will have no proportion to expenditure of next preceding year. Therefore in the interest of tribal areas, the word ‘average’ should have been dropped and ‘any excess of expenditure found at the time this Constitution comes into force’ should be substituted. If these two considerations are borne in mind i.e., consideration of raising the level of the tribal areas to the ordinary level of the rest of the Union; and secondly, excess of expenditure found at the time of the Constitution coming into force, then something, substantial, I am sure, will have been done in the cause of improvement of tribal areas.
