FUND ALLOCATION FOR WELFARE SCHEMES

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According to a report, the Union government of India has reduced the number of welfare schemes by over half in the last three years.

Key Points of the Report

The funding for various important schemes has been reduced over the years. For example; Grants for wildlife habitat development like Project Tiger, have also declined.
Earlier 19 schemes were implemented by the Union Ministry of Women and Child Development, now only 3 schemes are running;
- Mission Shakti
- Mission Vatsalya
- Saksham Anganwadi
Out of 12 schemes by the Union Ministry of Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries, only two are running at present.
Out of 20 schemes under the Union Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, only three are running currently;
- Krishonnati Yojana
- The Integrated Scheme on Agricultural Cooperatives
- The Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana
The Nirbhaya Fund received Rs 1,000 crore annually, but most of the amount was not spent.
Subsidies on fertilizers were also reduced; during 2020-21, the government spent Rs 1,27,921 crore on fertilizers and in the 2022-23 budget, the government allocated Rs 1,05,222 crore.
- Due to the budgetary cuts, the prices of fertilizers have increased.
Fund allocations for employment in rural areas have also declined. For example, during 2021-22, nearly Rs 98,000 crore was allocated for Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MNREGA), and in 2022-23 government released Rs 73,000 crore (nearly 25% decline).