Department of Economic Affairs gets a meaty pie

Even as Finance Minister Jaswant Singh sought to prune plan expenditure of all central ministries in the run-up to preparing the expenditure budget for ‘03-04, the budgetary allocation for his ministry has been hiked 366%. And, this whole increase has gone to the department of economic affairs.
The budgetary support for DEA has been increased from Rs 535 crore in budgetary estimates (BE) for ‘02-03 and Rs 441 in revised estimates (RE) to Rs 2,492 crore in BE for ‘03-04. The sharp increase has been effected by making a provision of Rs 2,000 crore to provide as assistance for infrastructure development.
The finance ministry has proposed to use this amount to put in place “an innovative funding mechanism, by leveraging budgetary support for infrastructure projects under railways, roads, airports and seaports�, according to the expenditure budget.
In contrast, the total gross budgetary support for all central ministries was increased only about 8%.
The only other ministry to get a substantial hike in budgetary support is the ministry for urban development and poverty development which has been given Rs 2,225 crore, up 45% from Rs 1,525 crore in BE for ‘02-03.
Here, the increase of Rs 700 crore has come on account of the Centre’s commitment to Delhi Metro Rail Corporation, where it is an equity partner. The government had provided budgetary support of Rs 176 crore in BE ‘02-03 and this has been increased to Rs 880 crore in BE for ‘03-04.
The budgetary allocation for the ministry of road transport and highways has been raised from Rs 5,905 crore to Rs 6,331 crore, with the support for national highways, roads and bridges being increased.
Atomic energy got increased support at Rs 2,800 crore against Rs 2,500 crore, drinking water supply Rs 2,750 crore against Rs 2,400 crore, railways Rs 5,644 crore against Rs 5,390 crore and science and technology Rs 1,580 crore against Rs 1,290 crore. Department of women and child development got increased support at Rs 2,600 crore against Rs 2,200 crore in BE ‘02-03.
One ministry that has seen its support decline is the ministry of statistics and programme implementation. The budgetary support has been cut to Rs 69 crore from Rs 128 crore. And guess who is being starved of funds: The government’s official number cruncher the Central Statistical Organisation. The budgetary support there has been reduced to just about Rs 15 crore from Rs 40 crore in BE ‘02-03.