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| Plan outlay may swell by Rs 1 lakh cr in Budget |
| Press Trust of India / New Delhi Jun 14, 2009, 15:09 IST |
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Plan expenditure may see a quantum jump of about Rs 1 lakh crore due to likely increased allocation for the UPA's flagship programmes such as NREGA, Bharat Nirman as well as concessional foodgrains to the poor.
This is likely to take total Plan expenditure to Rs 3.85 lakh crore against Rs 2.85 lakh crore in the interim Budget, tabled in February, sources told PTI.
Higher Plan expenditure may cause increase in the fiscal deficit for 2009-10 to over 6 per cent of gross domestic product (GDP) from 5.5 per cent projected in the interim Budget.
President Pratibha Patil in her address to the joint sitting of Parliament had expressed the government's commitment to flagship schemes, including the NREGA and Bharat Nirman, besides food security, among other programmes.
"Ministries have sought more allocation to implement flagship schemes, including social sector programmes and new schemes. This may result in the Plan expenditure pegged at 2.85 lakh crore during the interim Budget to swell by about Rs 1 lakh crore," a source said.
Ministries seeking higher allocation in view of the government's commitment for flagship schemes and strengthening infrastructure include rural development, railways, power, urban development, water resources and human resource development among others, the sources said.
Sector-wise plan allocation for education may go up over Rs 15,000 crore, rural development Rs 4,000 crore, urban development about Rs 4,000 crore, power Rs 8,000 crore and health Rs 4,000 crore.
Sports may also see higher allocation by Rs 1,500 crore in view of the Commonwealth Games, scheduled for October 2010.
As far as the Human Resource Development Ministry is concerned, Rs 15,000 crore is needed for the UPA's flagship scheme Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan and setting up eight new IITs and 16 Central Universities.
While urban development may need an additional Rs 4,000 crore for implementing the Jawaharlal Nehru Urban Renewal Mission, Rs 4,000 crore more would be needed for the Rural Development Ministry for fulfilling the Congress' promise of a minimum wage of Rs 100 under the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA).
"If the government plans to enact the National Food Security Act, it will have to provide for a huge sum for it," the source said.
The Congress in its election manifesto has promised that each poor family will get 25 kg of rice or wheat for Rs 3 per kg in a month. For this, the National Food Security Act may be implemented.
"Along the lines of NREGA, we will enact a National Food Security Act. The Indian National Congress pledges to enact a Right to Food Law that guarantees access to sufficient food for all people, particularly the most vulnerable sections of society," the Congress manifesto said.
Expecting the economy to slow down in the current fiscal amid global recession, President Patil had said the new government will focus on adversely affected sectors like social infrastructure.
"The government will set higher targets for developing rural infrastructure in the second phase of the Bharat Nirman programme...
"Indira Awas Yojana, which exceeded its original target of 60 lakh houses for the period 2004-09, will now double the target of rural housing to 1.2 crore houses to be completed in the next five years," she had stated.
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