ApanBundelkhand.com, Chennai: The increase in allocation of budget for social sector to 37%
of the total plan outlay in the 2010 – 2011 Budget is appreciative. It
reflects the government’s promise to the ‘Aam Admi’.
But sadly about 400 million children who constitute
41% of India’s population have once again been ignored. The share for
children in the budget allocation has only a marginal increase from 3.7%
last year to 4.1%.
According to the ‘Centre for Budget Governance
Accountability’ (CBGA), the sector-wise composition of the 4.1% total
outlay for children in the Union Budget 2010 -2011 (BE) is - 75% meant
for education, 20% for Child Development, 4% for Child Health and 1% of
Child Protection.’ Like the CBGA reports says, it is indeed
‘disappointing to note that the Child Budget continues to be skewed
against Child Health and Child Protection.’
The increase for School Education and Literacy from
2.7 % to a mere 2.81 % does not reflect the government’s commitment to
the Right to Education Bill passed recently. And the mere 1% for Child
Protection within the allocation for children is extremely sad. The
Government is answerable to the millions of children who are Child
Labourers and living on the streets.
As far as Child Health is concerned, India today has
disturbing figures like 5000 children under 5 dying every single day.
But only a scanty 4% of the 4.1% of total allocation earmarked for
children is for health. This kind of allocation suggests that the
government is probably indifferent towards the thousands of children who
are deprived of their very basic right – the ‘Right to Live’.
With the plethora of issues faced by children in
this country, slow and steady increases in budget allocations cannot
solve the problems children face. We need bold, vigorous and
proportional allocations to combat issues like Child Labour, School
dropouts, Infant mortality, Malnutrition etc.
However, the allocation of 40,100 crores to the
NREGA and the 7,266 crores drought relief package for Bundelkhand is
laudable. This allocation to Bundelkhand will revive the hopes of a
better future for thousands of children affected by the severe drought
in the belts of Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh.
Expansion of Integrated Child Development Scheme and
the district wise evaluation of the Status of Health will be much more
robust and will mandate civil society and panchayat in the process.
With more than 25% of the country’s population still
living Below the Poverty line, the announcement...
