NEW DELHI: With impending polls in six states, the Government announced over 30 percent increase in the budget outlay for the welfare of scheduled castes and scheduled tribes in the General Budget for the year 2017-18.
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley allocated Rs. 52,393 crores for the Scheduled Castes for the next financial year. It is up from Rs. 38,833 crore in 2016-17. It is a whopping increase of 34.92 percent.
For the scheduled tribes the budget allocation for the year 2016-17 has been Rs 24,005 crore. Jaitley announced to increase it to Rs. 31,295 crore for 2017-18, which 30.35 percent more than the previous financial year.
The government said that the expenditure under both the heads will be outcome based. For the first time, the government did not present a Ministry wise budget.
The government also announced Aadhar-based health cards for the senior citizens.