Higher edu outlay up by 17%, boost for health sector too
CHANDIGARH: Even though the budget for 2019-2020 has not brought in any new scheme in the social sector, the finance minister Capt Abhimanyu has raised the outlay on the welfare of women and children, Scheduled Castes (SCS) and Backward Classes (BCS) and ex-servicemen.
The finance minister said the women and child welfare department has been allocated ₹1,504.98 crore in the 2019-20 budget estimates, which is 14.3% more than the outlay of ₹1,317.10 crore in 2018-19 revised estimates.
WELFARE OF SC, BC
To encourage meritorious SC students, scholarships ranging from ₹8,000 to ₹12,000 per annum were provided to students in Class 11, first year of graduation and first year of postgraduation courses . The finance minister said that free coaching was provided to aspirants from SC and BCS to prepare for various competitive examinations.
The pension of elderly, disabled and widows was enhanced by ₹200 to ₹2,000 per month with effect from November 1, 2018. Further, financial assistance to destitute children has been enhanced from ₹900 to ₹1,100 and for non-school-going disabled children from ₹1,200 to ₹1,400 per month. An outlay of ₹7,199.32 crore for welfare of SCS, BCS and social justice and empowerment sector has been provided in the 2019-20 budget estimates as compared to ₹6,348.62 crore at 2018-19 revised estimates with an increase of 13.4%, he added.
HEALTH SECTOR OUTLAY UP BY 12 %
Opening new Employees’ State Insurance (ESI) dispensaries in Karnal, Kurukshetra, Charkhi Dadri and Kaithal and construction of building for directorate of ESI health care and a pharma park in Karnal are some of the important projects envisaged for 2019-20 in the health and medical education sector.
The budget has an allocation of ₹5,040.65 crore in budget estimates of 2019-20 for health and family welfare sector, which is an increase of 12.3% over the revised estimates (RE) outlay of ₹ 4,486.91 crore in 2018-19.
The proposed outlay includes an outlay of ₹3,126.54 crore for health and family welfare, ₹1,358.75 crore for medical education and research, ₹337.20 crore for Ayush, ₹172.49 crore for employees state insurance health care and ₹45.67 crore for food and drugs administration.
GREEN CAMPUSES ON THE CARDS
Stating that while 36 new government colleges had been opened in 2018-19 and 590 new posts have been created for these colleges, the finance minister said two new universities have also been set up. Proposing an outlay of ₹12,307.46 crore for elementary and secondary education in 2019-20 budget estimates against the revised budget provision in 2018-19 of ₹11,256.00 crore, with an increase of 9.3%, the budget allocates ₹2,076.68 crore for 2019-20 for higher education at an increase of 17.1%.
On the technical education front, the government plans green campuses (energy efficient institutes) technological events and centres of excellence.