Having the imprint of Congress president Sonia Gandhi, the Union Budget for the year 2011-12 is likely to see hefty increases in allocation (budgetary support) to ministries looking after social sector issues.
Rural development, health, HRD and agriculture may get increases in the range of 12 per cent to 44 per cent, sources said. These indicative hikes have been decided in the midst of a process of finalising Gross Budgetary support (GBS) for plan expenditure in the country. Consultation between the Planning Commission and the finance ministry is still on to clinch the final GBS figure, they informed.
Owing to the RTE Act, the HRD ministry is expected to get the maximum hike to the tune of around 44 per cent of the last year’s budgetary support. In the 2010-11 Budget the ministry was allocated `42,036 crores. However, sources said the ministry had demanded a 95 per cent hike this year.
Next in the priority area of the government is the agriculture ministry, which is likely to receive around 21 per cent more than last year. Sources said, this has been done owing to the fact that the country desperately needs to increase its food production in the backdrop of soaring prices of food items. In the budget for 2010-11 the ministry was allocated `11,880 crores.
Similarly, health appears to be getting special attention of the government, as several AIIMS-like hospitals have to be opened all across the country.
“As of now 12 are planned in different state capitals and all these require central assistance,” sources said, adding that the sector will see an increase by around 16 per cent of the last budget. Last year the ministry had got `22,300 crores.
Moreover, unlike several past years, this time the rural development ministry is likely to get only a 12 per cent hike.