Par panel unhappy over "insufficient" fund allocation to MEA

Strongly favouring increased budgetary support to the Ministry, the Standing Committee on External Affairs in its 14th report said the Finance Ministry and Planning Commission should be sensitised about the problem and if required the matter should be taken up with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

"The Committee takes a serious note of insufficient budgetary allocation almost every year especially in the light of India's increased international engagement and Indian endeavour to emerge as one of the major non-traditional donors in terms of providing aid and loan to developing countries," said the report tabled in Parliament today.

Noting that staff and budget of the ministry were not commensurate with the scale and range of India's external challenges, the committee particularly expressed unhappiness over slow implementation of a number of developmental projects in various countries including in Bhutan due to paucity of funds.

 

It said the Ministry was allocated Rs 9,661 crore for the year 2012-13 against the projection of Rs 14,426 crore. The committee also expressed dismay over delay in implementation of rehabilitation and resettlement projects in Sri Lanka.