India Tomorrow
New Delhi, July 5— The Kailash Satyarthi Children’s Foundation (KSCF), an NGO founded by Nobel Peace Laureate Kailash Satyarthi, has welcomed the increase of 16% in the total budgetary allocation for welfare of children in the Union Budget 2019 presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in the Lok Sabha on Friday.
“Doubling of allocation under the Child Protection Services (CPS) from Rs725 crore in 2018-19 to Rs1500 crore in 2019-20 will pave the way for financial support to more children in distress,” said KSCF in a press statement.
The NGO has also welcomed the 89% increase in budget for Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment saying that “this will lead to more children from the disadvantaged sections of the society being covered by various schemes relating to their education.” “This will also lead to their retention in schools and improved learning outcomes,” it added.
Despite the increase of 16%, the allocation for welfare of children stands at only 3.29% of the total budget, which is lower than the percentage in 2016-17 and 2017-18.
“It is however a matter of concern that despite the 16% increase in the allocation of funds for children in the current budget, the percentage of funds allocated for them works out to only 3.29, which is lower than the allocation for children in terms of percentage during 2016-17 and 2017-18 which was 3.32%. Also, if the current years’ allocation is compared to the peak of 4.76% achieved in 2012-13 and 2013-14, it is observed that there is a need for further increase in the allocation of funds for children in the coming years,” said the group.
“The Kailash Satyarthi Children’s Foundation is appreciative of the attention which has been given to children in the current years’ budget, however, it firmly believes that for children to be free and for our demographic dividend to be fully realized, greater allocation of funds for children is absolutely essential.”
The Foundation has also urged the government to restore the budgetary cut imposed in the allocation for the ‘National scheme for incentive to girl child for secondary education’ which has been reduced from INR 255.90 crores to INR 100.00 crores as this reduction is likely to hurt the retention of girl child in the secondary schools.”
The NGO has also applauded the budgetary provision for social stock exchange under Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) saying it “would also provide much needed boost to the social services organizations to mobilize funds for the welfare of the society at large.”
