Current Affairs-Economic Survey 2012-13

Plan Outlay for Health up by 13.9 Per Cent; Allocation on Gender Budgeting Gone up to 5.96 of Total Budget

Government continues to strive for the improvement in the standard living and health status of the population. The Survey noted that the Government increased its plan outlay for health by 13.9% to Rs.30, 4777 crores in 2012-13. Under the NHRM over 1.4 lakhs Health Human Resources have been added (upto September, 2012) and under infrastructure strengthening 10,473 sub centres, 714 primary Health Centres and 245 community Health centres have been newly constructed. A sum of Rs.520 crore have been released to open 132 ANM schools and 137 general nursing and mid wifery schools in districts where there are no such schools. Opening of six Nursing colleges at the sites of AIIMS like institution at a total cost of Rs 120 crore is also under consideration. 

Survey noted that due to Janini Suraksha Yojana, the number of institutional delivery have increased from 1.08 crores during 2005-06 to 1.75 crores during 2011-12. In 2012-13, Indira Gandhi Matritva Sahyog Yogna (IGMSY), a budgetary outlay of Rs.520 crores is target to cover 12.5 lakhs pregnant and lactating women. The Surveys notes that allocation of gender budgeting as a percentage of total budget have gone up from 2.8 % in 2005-06 to 5.96 in 2012-13. . A proposal for strengthening and restructuring of the ICDS scheme within an overall budget allocation of Rs.1, 23,580 crores during the XIIth Plan has been approved. Under Sabla Programme against an allocation of Rs.750 crores for 2012-13, Rs.496 crores has been released. In 2012-13 under Indira Gandhi Matritva Sahyog Yogna (IGMSY), a budgetary outlay of Rs.520 crores is outlayed to cover 12.5 lakhs pregnant and lactating women. The Survey points out that Janini Suraksha Yojana (JSY), Janini Shishu Suraksha Yojana (JSSK) and Indira Gandhi Matritva Sahyog Yojana (IGMSY) have many overlapping features and the same beneficiaries. This calls for a careful exercise in identifying overlapping schemes and weeding out or converging them.