With several question marks about the tax revenues of the government, it was difficult to imagine a bigger social sector spending over last year. The finance minister did announce with gusto a 144 per cent increase of expenditure on NREGS over the 2008-09 allocation of 14,400 crore, but, in fact, the revised estimates for NREGS in 2008-09 were already at Rs 30,000 crore and the 2009-10 Budget adds Rs 9,000 crore to it, which is about 33 per cent increase arising out of legal obligations of the Act and projected demand.
The Budget speech did not even mention primary education, secondary education, and vocational skilling of youths. Of course, these sectors have been allocated funds from the Interim Budget. So, the non-reference in speech only means that it is not high on the political announcement agenda for the moment.
One other glaring omission is the fact that there was no reference to the “outcome over outlays” philosophy that the UPA-1 government articulated with great expectations. Each ministry was asked to prepare an outcome budget. Has this thinking been abandoned?