Budget 2019: Easing Pressure - Child protection sees highest increase

The gender allocation in Budget 2019-20 saw an increase of Rs 4,856 crore, or 20 per cent, from the allocation in 2018-19. The total outlay of the women and child development ministry rose from Rs 24,309 crore in the revised estimates in 2018-19 to Rs 29,165 crore.

At an increase of Rs 575 crore, the Ministry of Women and Child Development (WCD) allocation for the Integrated Child Protection Services scheme saw the highest increase in allocation, with the umbrella ICDS scheme seeing an increase of Rs 4,500 crore in the coming financial year as compared to the budget allocation of 2018.

"Similarly, the budget of programme component of National Nutrition Mission has been increased by Rs 400 crore. Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana was launched in October, 2017 ... the allocation under this scheme has been more than doubled from Rs 1,200 crore in revised estimates of 2018-19 to Rs 2,500 crore in budgetary estimates of 2019-20," stated a WCD release.

The Ujjwala scheme saw an increase of Rs 30 crore, the National Creche scheme an increase of Rs 20 crore, the Mahila Shakti Kendras scheme an increase of Rs 35 crore, and the budget for the widow's homes saw an increase of Rs 7 crore. The total budget under the Mission for Protection and Empowerment of Women increased from Rs 1,156 crore to Rs 1,330 crore.

However, budgetary think tank Centre for Budget and Governance Accountability (CBGA), in their analysis of the Gender Budget component said that while the government states that the protection and empowerment of women is a policy priority, allocation of schemes that address violence against women saw an overall decline.

"When we look at the allocations of key schemes to address violence against women, such as Swadhar Greh, Ujjwala, Women Helpline – they have witnessed a decline in the budget estimates of 2019-20. In Swadhar Greh, the allocation dropped from Rs 95 crores in 2018-19 budgetary estimates to Rs 50 crores in 2019-20 in budgetary estimates, a decline of 47 percent," said Samy. She added that another cause for worry was that the beneficiaries of the scheme, as per the Output-Outcome Budget 2018-19, stood only at 18,000.

Similarly, Samy added, the allocations for trafficking prevention scheme Ujjawala has been halved from Rs 60 crore is budgetary estimates of 2018-19 to Rs 30 crore in budgetary estimates in 2019-20. In addition the allocations for Women Helpline has reduced from Rs 29 crore in budgetary estimates of 2018-19 to Rs 18 crore in budgetary estimates of 2019-20 – a decline of 38 percent in outlays.

The National Mission for Empowerment of Women, too, witnessed a reduction from Rs 267 in budgetary estimates of 2018-19 to Rs 150 in budgetary estimates of 2019-20 – a 44 percent decline. The Support to Training and Employment Programme (STEP) scheme saw a 40 percent decline -- from Rs 5 crore in budgetary estimates in 2018-19 to Rs 3 crore in budgetary estimates of 2019-20.

AR Sindhu, general secretary of All India Federation of Anganwadi Workers and Helpers (AIFAWH) said that the proposal for 50% hike in the wages of anganwadi workers, promised in September 11, 2018, has not been implemented till date. The body is now taking out a protest rally in Delhi on February 25. "The budget does not mention anything about the pension for the anganwadi employees which the government has been promising since 2014. The Government stated in September 2017 that it is going to spent Rs.12,000cr for the increased allocation for the supplementary nutrition in the anganwadi centres, which means an additional Rs 6000 crore per year for nutrition. But neither the budget last year nor this year includes this allocation," Sindhu said in a statement.

Puja Marwaha, CEO at Child Rights and You said that while the Budget showed positive trends towards the vulnerable sections, it left out almost 40% of India's population comprising of its children. "It failed to address the expectations of the nation, as children were neither a part of the Budget Speech, nor were they visible anywhere in the 10 point vision for 2030,"said Marwaha.