The Women and Child Development Ministry received a total of Rs 29,000 crore for the next fiscal, a 17 per cent increase over the 2018-2019 financial year, with the social services sector getting a major boost in the budget announced on Friday.
The total amount allocated for the social services sector, which includes nutrition and social security and welfare, was enhanced from Rs 2,551 crore in 2018-19 to Rs 4,178 crore in the fiscal 2019-20.
The Centre's programmes of maternity benefit and child protection services also got a major boost in the budget.
The allocation for the Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY), a maternity benefit programme, was more than doubled to Rs 2,500 crore from Rs 1,200 crore while allocation for the Child Protection Services programme under the Integrated Child Development Services was increased to Rs 1,500 crore from Rs 925 crore.
A sum of Rs 29,164.90 crore has been earmarked for the WCD Ministry for the next financial year, a 17 per cent increase over Rs 24,758.62 crore allocated to it last year. A major chunk of the sum, Rs 19,834.37 crore, is for anganwadi services.
WCD Minister Smriti Irani took to Twitter to praise the Budget, saying it will give further impetus to the mission of women-led development. "I thank PM @narendramodi ji & FM @nsitharaman ji for proposing first ever Broad-based Committee to assess budgetary allocation from gender perspective and suggest way forward. It will give further impetus to our mission of Women-led Development," she said.
The National Nutrition Mission was allocated Rs 3,400 crore while Mahila Shakti Kendras (witnessed outlay increase from Rs 115 crore to Rs 150 crore), National Creche Scheme ( from Rs 30 crore to Rs 50 crore) Working Women's Hostel scheme (three times increase from Rs 52 crore to Rs 165 crore), and Ujjawala, a scheme for prevention of trafficking, rescue and rehabilitation of the victims, witnessed hike from Rs 20 crore to Rs 30 crore.
Similarly, the budget for widows' homes was increased from Rs 8 crore to Rs 15 crore while the Mission for Protection and Empowerment of Women got Rs 1,315 from Rs 1,148 crore.