Sonia pitches for social sector

With the Budget around the corner, the Finance Ministry’s allocations for the UPA’s flagship social sector projects have become a ...

With the Budget around the corner, the Finance Ministry’s allocations for the UPA’s flagship social sector projects have become a contentious issue. Today, Congress President Sonia Gandhi pitched for higher budgetary allocation for social sectors like rural job and health schemes in the forthcoming budget.

In a meeting with Finance Minister P Chidambaram and Planning Commission Deputy Chairperson Montek Singh Ahluwalia this evening, the UPA chief Gandhi sought to find ways of hiking allocations for schemes like the National Rural Health Scheme and the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme.

Finance ministry officials told The Indian Express, “The FM has been meeting all political parties for feedback and suggestions on the Budget. Today, he has begun taking his own party’s feedback, especially with respect to the Social Sector programmes.”

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Tomorrow, Chidambaram would be meeting Congress party leaders for their suggestions before the Budget.

While officials could not confirm the exact allocations to be made, the Planning Commission is of the view that Rs 178,000 crore is essential so as to not sacrifice any flagship programmes.

Though the Finance Ministry had earmarked Rs 13,000 crore for the National Rural Employment Guarantee Programme, the UPA chief is said to be in favour of a higher allocation.

Gandhi also mooted that the National Rural Health Mission be implemented like the ‘Sarva Siksha Abhiyan’ programme on a priority basis. The UPA chief wanted to enhance the funds for the Mid-Day Meal scheme in the next Budget.

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Earlier, in a communique to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Gandhi had expressed her concern over inadequate allocation for social welfare ministries. Though the Planning Commission wanted Gross Budgetary Support (GBS) to be scaled up by 40 per cent to about Rs 1,83,000 crore this fiscal, it may be frozen at around Rs 1,71,000 crore.

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