The State Government has been consistently raising budgetary allocations for combating climate change impacts, revealed the first report card on the State Action Plan on Climate Change (SAPCC). The report revealed that allocation in the sector has gone up to four per cent of the total Budget in 2014-15 from 3.3 per cent in 2012-13.
The report card, which covers all the activities of SAPCC implemented during 2011-15, reveals that the climate change budget beginning with an allocation of Rs1,700 crore during 2012-13 reached Rs2,184 crore in 2013-14 and Rs3207 crore in the last fiscal. A senior Finance Department official said that the amount could be higher as it does not take into account cross-sectoral investment in MGNREGA, which is the largest flagship programme with climate benefits.
The State Government had identified 121 high priority activities relating to climate change in 11 departments, including Water Resources, Agriculture, Fisheries and Animal Resources Development, Revenue and Disaster Management, Forest and Environment, Health and Family Welfare, Industry, Transport and Steel and Mines Departments.
The Water Resources Department has recorded highest spending in the sector, according to the report card. The department funded Rs605 Crore in 2013-14 and Rs630 crore in 2014-15. The Forests and Environment Department funded Rs246 core during 2012-13 and Rs554 crore in 2014-15. Similarly, the Agriculture Department spent Rs218 crore in 2012-13, Rs631 crore in 2013-14 abd Rs556 crore in 2014-15, marking a fluctuation in spending in the sector. But the Energy Department has been hiking its spending in the sector. It allocated Rs274 crore in 2012-13, Rs367 crore in 2013-14 and Rs509 crore in 2014-15.