Nirbhaya Fund gets Another ₹ 1000 Cr in 2015-16

The Finance Minister, Shri Arun Jaitley has said that adequate provision has been made for the schemes for the poor and disadvantaged in the Budget of 2015-16. Delivering his Budget Speech in the Parliament today, the Finance Minister said that an amount of ₹ 68,968 crore has been allocated to the Education Sector including Mid Day Meals, ₹ 33,152 crore to the Health Sector and ₹ 79,526 crore for Rural Development Activities including MGNREGA in the Budget for 2015-16. An amount of ₹ 22,407 crore has been provided for Housing and Urban Development, ₹ 10,351 crore for Women and Child Development and ₹ 4,173 crore for Water Resources and Namami Gange.

 In order to support programmes for Women Security, Advocacy and Awareness, another ₹ 1000 crore have been allocated to the Nirbhaya Fund in the year 2015-16.

 Shri Arun Jaitley said that the National Optical Fibre Network Programme of 7.5 lakh Kilometre, networking 2.5 lakh villages, is being speeded up as a part of progress towards making digital India.

 The Finance Minister disclosed that an initial sum of ₹ 1200 crore has been given for the DMIC corridors in the current year. The Ahmedabad-Dholera investment region in Gujarat and the Shendra-Bidkin Industrial park near Aurangabad, in Maharashtra, are now in a position to start work on basic infrastructure. Additional funds will be provided for the Industrial Corridors as the pace of expenditure picks up, he added.

Budget allocations expand social sector funding and top up the Nirbhaya Fund while boosting digital and industrial infrastructure. Budget allocations for 2015-16 earmark funding for Education (including Mid Day Meals), Health, Rural Development (including MGNREGA), Housing and Urban Development, Women and Child Development, Water Resources and Namami Gange, and increase the Nirbhaya Fund to support women's security, advocacy and awareness. The Budget also provides initial capital for the National Optical Fibre Network to extend village connectivity and for DMIC corridors and select industrial regions, with additional funds to be provided as expenditure picks up.