Budget 2019-20: Focus on nutrition, maternal health and child protection
Ambika Pandit | TNN | Updated: Feb 1, 2019, 23:33 IST
NEW DELHI: Hinged to the idea of “women-led development”, finance minister Piyush Goyal’s budget speech saw him highlight that over 6 crore LPG connections delivered under Ujjwala Yojana were a move to secure the health of every home maker. He further emphasised that 70% of the beneficiaries of the Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana happen to be women.
However, for 2019-20, besides the old age pension scheme that promises Rs 3,000 to workers from the unorganised sectors - a significantly large number of them being women, the budget largely delivers a continuity in schemes for women and children, pumps in more funds to reinforce its commitment to step-up the fight against malnutrition among children and bring focus on maternal health and child protection services.
The budget of the ministry of women and child development reflects a nearly 20% (Rs 4,856 crore) hike over 2018-19. The allocation is Rs 29,165 crore for 2019-20.
The biggest hike of about Rs 4,500 over the current fiscal comes for the Umbrella Integrated Child Development Scheme. The ICDS umbrella includes the National Nutrition Mission which has been assigned Rs 3,400 crore as against the revised estimates of Rs 3,061 crore for 2018-19.
Also under the ICDS umbrella, the Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana for supporting pregnant mothers was launched in October, 2017. The allocation under this scheme has been more than doubled from Rs 1,200 crore (RE 2018-19) to Rs 2,500 crore (BE 2019-20).
Considering that the past year brought to light many cases of abuse and mismanagement in children homes, the enhanced allocation to the Integrated Child Protection Services Scheme is significant. It has been enhanced from Rs 925 crore to Rs 1,500 crore. Besides focussing on homes, the fund will also be used for expansion of the national helpline for children.
During the Budget speech, the benefits of maternity leave of 26 weeks and Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana for pregnant women were also cited by the finance minister as enabling decisions were taken during this government’s tensure towards increased participation of women in the workforce.
Meanwhile, the Mission for Protection and Empowerment for Women has been assigned Rs 1,330 crore as against the revised estimates of Rs 1,156 crore. Under the Mission the budget for working women’s hostels has seen a three fold increase from Rs 52 crore (RE 2018-19) to Rs 165 crore (BE 2019-20). However, allocation for the government’s flagship Beti Bachao Beti Padhao programme remains the same as last year at Rs 280 crore.
The fund allocation reflects the crisis the National Creche scheme is in. The Budget estimate for 2018-19 was Rs 128 crore and it was revised Rs 30 crore for the current fiscal. For the next fiscal the allocation is just Rs 50 crore.
However, for 2019-20, besides the old age pension scheme that promises Rs 3,000 to workers from the unorganised sectors - a significantly large number of them being women, the budget largely delivers a continuity in schemes for women and children, pumps in more funds to reinforce its commitment to step-up the fight against malnutrition among children and bring focus on maternal health and child protection services.
The budget of the ministry of women and child development reflects a nearly 20% (Rs 4,856 crore) hike over 2018-19. The allocation is Rs 29,165 crore for 2019-20.
The biggest hike of about Rs 4,500 over the current fiscal comes for the Umbrella Integrated Child Development Scheme. The ICDS umbrella includes the National Nutrition Mission which has been assigned Rs 3,400 crore as against the revised estimates of Rs 3,061 crore for 2018-19.
Also under the ICDS umbrella, the Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana for supporting pregnant mothers was launched in October, 2017. The allocation under this scheme has been more than doubled from Rs 1,200 crore (RE 2018-19) to Rs 2,500 crore (BE 2019-20).
Considering that the past year brought to light many cases of abuse and mismanagement in children homes, the enhanced allocation to the Integrated Child Protection Services Scheme is significant. It has been enhanced from Rs 925 crore to Rs 1,500 crore. Besides focussing on homes, the fund will also be used for expansion of the national helpline for children.
During the Budget speech, the benefits of maternity leave of 26 weeks and Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana for pregnant women were also cited by the finance minister as enabling decisions were taken during this government’s tensure towards increased participation of women in the workforce.
Meanwhile, the Mission for Protection and Empowerment for Women has been assigned Rs 1,330 crore as against the revised estimates of Rs 1,156 crore. Under the Mission the budget for working women’s hostels has seen a three fold increase from Rs 52 crore (RE 2018-19) to Rs 165 crore (BE 2019-20). However, allocation for the government’s flagship Beti Bachao Beti Padhao programme remains the same as last year at Rs 280 crore.
The fund allocation reflects the crisis the National Creche scheme is in. The Budget estimate for 2018-19 was Rs 128 crore and it was revised Rs 30 crore for the current fiscal. For the next fiscal the allocation is just Rs 50 crore.
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