NEW DELHI: During a debate in the Lok Sabha recently, Trinamool MP Sugata Bose was at his caustic best when he said that the finance minister was punishing the Human Resource Development (HRD) Ministry. Bose was referring to the allocation cuts following the recommendations of the 14th Finance Commission.
“This does not justify the slashing of the Budget for flagship schemes in the field of education, such as Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, Mid-Meal Scheme. If you look at the percentage cuts in these sectors, the budget in Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan has been cut by more than 20 per cent and in the Mid-day Meal, the cut is more than 30 per cent,” Bose said, prompting HRD minister Smriti Irani to counter him. Irani rose to argue. “I request him to not give an indication that this government is at loggerheads within itself as was in the case of the UPA. I request him to take back that statement.” Bose, however, pressed on.
This incident sums up the situation all the social sector ministries are facing. Development projects in social sectors are hit by delinking schemes from the Centre’s sponsorship in the Budget. During his budget speech, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley had announced that the government’s intent to rationalise the centrally sponsored schemes is in line with the recommendations of the 14th Finance Commission. The plan outlay of 2015-16 reflected the compositional shift in the allocations for various programmes and schemes in view of high devolution of 42 per cent of union taxes to states as per the recommendation of 14th Finance Commission.
In the new scenario, after the recommendations of the Commission, it is expected that the states pitch in to fill the gaps and increase their share of funds to implement the schemes. However, ministries do not have any idea about the time and manner in which states set their priorities. Since states may take a while before they finalise priorities, concerned ministries are looking for more funds from the finance ministry for on-going schemes so that they do not come to a halt. The Parliamentary standing committee on HRD, headed by BJP MP Satyanarayana Jatiya, examined the demands for grants 2015-16 of the Department of School Education and Literacy in the HRD ministry and expressed concern about the budget cut. “What will happen to these very important schemes is a big question,” it observed. “The department of school education sounded helpless and did not know what to do in this new situation. (It) pleaded with the committee to recommend for releasing at least some funds to sustain its schemes till things are in place,” the committee pointed out.
“The committee shares the concern expressed by the department about the future of important schemes like SSA, MDM and strongly recommends that the Ministry of Finance should earmark some funds for these schemes so that they do not come a halt thereby resulting in humongous social cost,” the committee said.
On the demands for grants 2015-16 of the department of higher education, the committee recommended to the government to “take seriously the growth and development of this sector and increase budgetary allocations keeping them closer to 12th Plan projections”.
On the demands for grants 2015-16 of the department of youth affairs, the committee said, “Many of the major schemes launched by the Prime Minister, it appears are not factored into the funds allocated. The Committee, therefore, recommends strongly increasing department’s allocation suitably at RE stage.” However, not only the committee on HRD, almost all department related standing committees on social sector ministries have recommended to the Centre to increase the funds for the ministries in the Revised Estimates stage.
The standing committee on Rural Development, headed by AIADMK member P Venugopal, examined the demands for grants 2015-16 of the Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation. In its report, the committee expressed serious concern over the drastic reduction in the budgetary allocation for the current financial year. It said that the “budgetary allocation of Rs 5,236 crore is quite inadequate to meet the requirements” of the National Rural Drinking Water Programme (NRDWP) and Swachch Bharat Mission SBM (Gramin).
The committee recommended the ministry committee to approach the NITI Ayog and the Ministry of Finance with apt justifications to ensure allocation of additional funds for the current financial year so that future development plans are not hampered and the targets.