Union Labour and Employment Minister Mallikarjuna Kharge said on Sunday that Finance Minister P Chidambaram has been requested to increase allocation of funds for the Labour Ministry by 10 per cent in the ensuing budget.
He told reporters that his ministry was given Rs 900 crore when he assumed office in 2009. In the 2010 budget, the allocation was increased to Rs 1,800 crore, in 2011 it was given Rs 2,500 crore and in 2012 it went up to Rs 3,200 crore.
“In this year’s budget we are expecting Rs 3,600-Rs 3,700 crore. Funds are need for popular schemes such as Modular Employable Skills and Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana,” he said.
New train
Kharge said that he has requested the Railway Ministry to sanction a new rail line between Wadi and Gadag. “I have also sought funds for completion of Gulbarga-Bidar rail line and plying of Solapur-Bangalore Express on a daily basis,” he said.
Textile park
“The textile park which is being constructed on 50 acres near Gulbarga has got Rs 2.85 crore for the building work. The Centre has sanctioned Rs 1.86 crore and the state government sanctioned Rs1 crore for the project,” he said.