Vote on Account 2014: Rural Ministry gets Rs 82,202 crore in Interim Budget

NEW DELHI: Rural Development Ministry, which implements the Government's flagship programmes including rural job guarantee programme, PMGSY and livelihood mission, was today allocated Rs 82,202 crore in the Interim Budget, an increase of over Rs 2,000 crore from the last fiscal.

The Ministry was allocated Rs 80,194 crore in 2013-14 fiscal.

In the last fiscal, there was a massive cut in budgetary allocations for the Ministry, which had forced Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh to shot off a letter to Chidambaram, expressing displeasure over the decision.

The Finance Ministry had proposed Rs 15,000 crore funds cut in rural development schemes in the revised budget estimates (RE).

Presenting the Interim Budget, Finance Minister P Chidambaram today said all Ministries/departments that run key flagship programmes of the UPA government have been provided adequate funds.

He said that he has provided an amount equal to or higher than in the Budget Estimate of 2013-14 and irrespective of the revised estimates for the year.

The nearly Rs 2000 crore more allocation is expected to give a boost to implement the Ministry's ambitious programmes like MNREGA, National Rural Livelihood Mission and skill development programmes in Jammu and Kashmir and tribal areas.

The rural job scheme envisages creation of durable and productive assets which would contribute greatly to the economic and ecological development of the rural areas.

Since MNREGA is a demand-driven programme, the Government is obliged to fulfil whatever demand arrives.