Current Affairs-Indian Government's Union Budget 2013-14: 46%Hike in Budgetary Allocation for Flagship Schemes of Rural Development

46%Hike in Budgetary Allocation for Flagship Schemes of Rural Development 
Rs 1,400 Crore Allocated for Water Purification Plants in Arsenic and Fluoride Affected Rural Habitations

The Budgetary Allocation for the Ministry of Rural Development, which implements a number of flagship programmes witnessed a quantum jump. The Finance Minister Shri P. Chidambaram announced in his Budget Speech that the Ministry will get Rs 80,194 crore in 2013-14 as against Rs 55,000 crore allocated in 2012-13, thus marking an increase of 46 percent. While Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, MGNREGS will get Rs 33,000 crore, Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana, PMGSY is given Rs 21,700 crore and Indira Awaas Yojana, IAY has been allocated Rs 15,184 crore. 

Shri Chidambaram said that the objectives of PMGSY have been substantially fulfilled in several States and these States wish to do more and hence it is proposed to carve out PMGSY-II and allocate a portion of funds to the new programme. It will benefit States like Andhra Pradesh, Haryana, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Punjab and Rajasthan. Details of the PMGSY-II will be announced by the Minister of Rural Development in due course. 

Similarly, Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation will get Rs 15,260 crore as against Revised Estimate of Rs 13,000 crore in the current year. The Finance Minister also proposed to provide Rs 1,400 crore towards setting-up water purification plants as there are still 2,000 arsenic and 12,000 fluoride affected rural habitations in the country.