Feel good Budget: Social outlay may go up; health, education priority

Increase of 10-12% likely for some schemes in a bid to improve citizens' mood after demonetisation

As part of a post-demonetisation gift, the government could increase spending for the coming financial year in health, education, women & child development and related social sector schemes by 10-12 per cent, Business Standard has learnt.

This would run concurrently with the increased layout on social sector by state governments, after the Fourteenth Finance Commission (FFC) recommended the latter spend more on schemes in health, education and similar segments. Most of these areas are state subjects.

The FFC had increased the devolution of taxes to states from the divisible pool, from 32 per cent to 42 per cent. However, it