Maneka thanks PM Modi for 27 percent increase in budget for women and child development

New Delhi [India], Feb.1 (ANI): Minister of Women and Child Development Maneka Sanjay Gandhi has expressed satisfaction over the 27 percent budgetary allocation for her ministry. The WCD Minister said that the adequate provision of funds will help her ministry to push forward the much needed schemes and programmes for the safety, protection and development of women and children. The budget, presented in parliament today by the Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, also includes a provision of Rs 2700 crore for the Maternity Benefit Programme announced by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi for pregnant women across the country. Under this scheme, Rs 6000 each will be transferred directly to bank accounts of pregnant women who undergo institutional delivery and vaccinate their children. An allocation of Rs 22095 crore has been made for the Ministry of Women and Child Development in the Budget for the Financial Year 2017-18, showing an increase of 27% over the year 2016-17 (BE). Jaitley also announced Rs 500 croreore for setting up Mahila Shakti Kendras at village level in the Anganwadi Centres. This will provide one stop convergent support services for empowering rural women with opportunities for skill development, employment, digital literacy, health and nutrition. For the welfare of women and children under various schemes across all ministries, the allocation has been stepped up from Rs 1,56,528 crore in BE 2016-17 to Rs 1,84,632 crore in 2017-18, the finance minister said. In the Budget, there is an allocation of Rs 16745 crore for the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) scheme for the FY 2017-18 as compared to the allocation of Rs 14850 in BE 2016-17 for ICDS. The allocation for the flagship Beti Bachao Beti Padhao scheme has also been doubled to Rs 200 crore in this year. An amount of Rs 200 crore has been provisioned for the National Creche Scheme, while the scheme for adolescent girls has been apportioned Rs 460 crore. Rs 50 crore is proposed to be spent on Hostels for Working Women. The Child Protection Scheme has also seen a substantial increase to Rs 648 crore as compared to Rs 397 crore in BE 2106-17.(ANI)