Rural development ministry allocation up by 4.6%

The budget allocation for the Ministry of Rural Development, which runs several social welfare schemes, has been increased by 4.6 per cent to Rs 1.18-lakh crore for the next financial year as compared to Rs 1.12-lakh crore in the current fiscal.

The ministry is the nodal department for the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee scheme (MGNREGA), Pradhan Mantri Gramin Awaas Yojana (PMAY-G), Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) and the National Rural Livelihoods Mission (NRLM), as well some other centrally-sponsored schemes.

Rural job scheme MGNREGA has been allocated Rs 60,000 crore for 2019-20, which is 11-per cent higher than Rs 55,000 crore provided in 2018-19. The rise is much higher for NRLM at Rs 9,024 crore from Rs 5,750 crore in the current fiscal.

In PMAY-G, however, the allocation is less at Rs 19,000 crore for the next financial year from Rs 21,000 crore in 2018-19, according to the budget document.

Allocation for the PMGSY stands at Rs 19,000 crore for 2019-20, same as that of the current fiscal.

The allocation to the National Social Assistance Programme, which includes several public welfare schemes, has been reduced to Rs 9,200 crore from Rs 9,975 crore in 2018-19. The allocation for the Shyama Prasad Mukherji Rurban Mission has been reduced to Rs 800 crore in 2019-20 from Rs 1,200 crore this financial year.