Budget allocation for rural development ministry up by 12%

Sitharaman also announced the launch of the fourth phase of the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) to provide all-weather connectivity to 25,000 rural habitations…reports Asian Lite News

The rural development ministry has been allocated ₹1,77,566.19 crore in the 2024-25 Union Budget, marking an increase of about 12% from last year’s ₹1,57,545 crore allocation. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented the budget in Parliament on Tuesday.

Compared to the revised estimates, the mid-year review by the ministry placed expenditure at ₹1,71,069.46 crore, indicating an increase of approximately 3.7%.

Rural Development Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan praised the budget, stating it will further develop the rural sector. The flagship Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) has been allocated ₹86,000 crore, a 43% increase from the previous year’s ₹60,000 crore. The revised expenditure for MGNREGS last year also stood at ₹86,000 crore. In 2022-23, the scheme had an allocation of ₹73,000 crore, with actual expenditure reaching ₹90,805 crore. MGNREGS guarantees employment to at least one member of every household willing to do unskilled manual work, reserving at least one-third of jobs for women.

The Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Gramin (PMAY-G) aims to build two crore rural houses with an allocation of ₹54,500.14 crore. Last year, ₹54,487 crore was allocated, but revised estimates showed ₹32,000 crore spent, about 41% of the allocated amount. Chouhan emphasized the budget’s focus on building more houses for the rural poor.

Sitharaman also announced the launch of the fourth phase of the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) to provide all-weather connectivity to 25,000 rural habitations, with an allocation of ₹12,000 crore. In 2023-24, ₹19,000 crore was allocated for PMGSY, with revised estimates at ₹17,000 crore.

The National Livelihood Mission-Ajeevika received ₹15,047 crore, about 6% more than last year’s ₹14,129.17 crore. The revised estimates for the scheme matched the previous year’s allocation. Chouhan highlighted the budget’s potential to empower the poor and women through the National Rural Livelihood Mission, aiming to enable three crore women to earn ₹1 lakh per annum. Training for rural youth under the Deendayal Upadhyay Skill Development Scheme and benefits for five crore tribal people under the PM Janjati Unnat Gram Abhiyan were also emphasized. This scheme will improve socio-economic conditions in tribal areas and aspirational districts, covering 63,000 villages.

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