Over Rs 200 crore for training of babus

The government today earmarked over Rs 200 crore to the Ministry of Personnel for 2014-15 to augment its training facilities for bureaucrats.

In the interim budget presented by Finance Minister P Chidambaram, Rs 203.01 crore has been allocated to the Ministry to meet establishment related expenditure of Institute of Secretariat Training and Management (ISTM) and Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration (LBSNAA).

Both the ISTM and LBSNAA arrange several training programmes including foundation courses, refresher courses and mid-career training among others to equip all levels or grades of secretarial functionaries with adequate exposure to the latest rules and regulations and aptitude.

The provision also include expenditure on domestic or overseas travel, course fees etc in respect of Central Secretariat Service (CSS) and Central Secretariat Stenographers Service (CSSS) officials who are to undergo mandatory training at ISTM as a pre-condition for consideration for promotion to next higher grade.

The allocation also includes provision for grants to Indian Institute of Public Administration and other training institutions as well as provision for training schemes like Training for All and Domestic Funding for Foreign Training, upgradation of LBSNAA to a centre of excellence, setting up of national centre for good governance, augmentation of training facilities at ISTM.

The Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pension had got Rs 184.25 crore for 2013-14 as against Rs 124.29 crore in 2012-13.

The government has also proposed to increase by over Rs 9 crore to Rs 30.32 crore the budgetary allocation for Central Information Commission (CIC) and Public Enterprises Selection Board (PESB) for the next fiscal.