The Narendra Modi government has undertaken a major pan-government exercise to know the exact status of implementation of every budget announcement made for the past several financial years to track their progress better, News18 has learnt.In a letter written to all ministries earlier this month, the Department of Economic Affairs (DEA), under the Ministry of Finance, said that while budget announcements should be implemented within the same financial year, it has been observed that some of them take longer, requiring closer monitoring.
As per sources in the government, all budget announcements from 2014-15 onwards will be considered.
As part of the exercise, the DEA has six categories for all budget announcements across ministries.
They include those on which action has not been initiated due to unavoidable circumstances, those which are under reconsideration or have been dropped because of changed circumstances or those on which action has been initiated and are at a planning or approval stage.
Other categories include announcements which need monitoring because of challenges from inter-ministerial or other coordination issues, have been substantially implemented or where the targets in the announcement have been substantially achieved. The implemented category includes all budget announcements which have been converted or merged into schemes or projects.
The letter—accessed by News18—sought details of pending budget announcements from every ministry and department in a set format, divided into the six categories. It has also sought a monthly review of the announcements and a status report on pending budget announcements by 25th of every month for further monitoring.
WHAT IS IMPLEMENTED, DROPPED?
Some of the past budget announcements which are either being reconsidered or could be dropped include establishing a National Institute for Inclusive and universal Design at New Delhi, estimated receipts of Rs1,75,000 crore as disinvestment in 2021-22, museum on numismatics and trade at Kolkata’s historic Old Mint building and measures for a 100 water-stressed districts, among others.
Past announcements which have already been implemented include organic farming in the North-East, Pradhan Mantri Gramin Digital Saksharta Abhiyan, the model tenancy law, implementation of four labour codes and upgrading rural haats into gramin agricultural markets.
The establishment of industrial smart cities, setting up of a National Institute of Speech and Hearing, development of each district as export hub and promoting entertainment industry are among the past announcements which need monitoring, while Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojna, Institutes of Eminence recognition scheme, Bharatmala Project and the integrated farming system have been categorised as those that have been substantially implemented.
One of the major budget announcements for the current financial year 2022-23 was the implementation of the Vibrant Villages Programme. This featured as a major action point during PM Modi’s interaction with secretaries in April. All ministries were directed to take concerted efforts towards making it a success and officers would be deputed to villages for on-ground assessment of challenges and suggested ways for developing and mainstreaming these villages.