Govt allocates Rs 928 cr to CBI, down by Rs 40 cr from FY 2024

The Centre has allocated Rs 928.46 crore to the Central Bureau of Investigation in the Union Budget 2024-25 announced by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Thursday, a snip of over Rs 40.4 crore from FY 2024.

The agency had received Rs 946.51 crore to manage its affairs in the Budget Estimates for 2023-24, which was later increased to Rs 968.86 crore in the Revised Estimates.

The government has allocated Rs 928.46 crore to the agency for 2024-25, the interim Budget presented by Sitharaman on Thursday said.

"The provision is for establishment-related expenditure of the Central Bureau of Investigation which is entrusted with investigation and prosecution in corruption cases against public servants, private persons, firms and other cases of serious crimes," it said.

The document said the allocation also includes provision for various projects such as modernisation of training centres of the CBI, establishment of technical and forensic support units, comprehensive modernisation and purchase of land and construction of office and residence buildings for the agency.

The country's premier probe agency is engaged in tackling emerging crime scenes, dominated by artificial intelligence, cryptocurrency and darknet besides conventional crimes like bank loan frauds and ongoing high-profile extradition cases in courts abroad. It also deals with criminal cases handed over by various states, high courts and the Supreme Court.

Lokpal gets Rs 33.32 cr, CVC allocated Rs 51.31 cr

Anti-corruption ombudsman Lokpal has been allocated Rs 33.32 crore for 2024-25 to meet its establishment and construction-related expenditures, according to the interim Union Budget presented on Thursday.

It was initially given Rs 92 crore in the 2023-24 Budget. However, the budgetary provision was further revised upward to Rs 110.89 crore for the ongoing fiscal.

A total of Rs 33.32 crore has been allocated to the anti-corruption ombudsman for the next fiscal, according to the interim Union Budget 2024-25 presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.

The provision is for establishment and construction-related charged expenditure for the Lokpal, it said.

The Lokpal is the apex body to inquire and investigate allegations of corruption against public functionaries.

The Central Vigilance Commission has been allocated Rs 51.31 crore for the next financial year.

The probity watchdog was given Rs 44.46 crore for 2023-24, which has been revised to Rs 47.73 crore for the ongoing fiscal.

For 2024-25, the CVC has been provided Rs 51.31 crore. The provision is for secretariat expenditure of the Commission. 

MEA gets Rs 22,154 cr in Union Budget 

The ministry of external affairs was on Thursday allocated a total of Rs 22,154 crore for the fiscal 2024-25 in the Union Budget as against last year's outlay of Rs 18,050 crore.

In line with India's 'Neighbourhood First' policy, the largest share of aid portfolio has been granted to Bhutan with an allocation of Rs 2,068 crore.

The development outlay for the Himalayan nation in 2023-24 was Rs 2,400 crore.

The allocation for Chabahar Port has also been maintained at Rs 100 crore, underlining India's focus on connectivity projects with Iran.

The development assistance to the Maldives has been kept at Rs 600 crore as against last year's Rs 770 crore, according to budget papers.

In continuation with India's special relationship with the people of Afghanistan, a budgetary aid of Rs 200 crore has been set aside for that country.

An amount of Rs 120 crore will be provided to Bangladesh under development aid while Nepal would be provided Rs 700 crore.

According to the budget documents, Sri Lanka will get development aid worth Rs 75 crore, Mauritius to receive Rs 370 crore while the amount for Myanmar has been pegged at Rs 250 crore.

A separate amount of Rs 200 crore has been set aside for African countries.

The total development assistance to various countries and regions such as Latin America and Eurasia has been pegged at Rs 4,883 crore.

Presenting the interim budget, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said the recently announced India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor is a strategic and economic game changer for India and others.

The IMEC is seen as an initiative by like-minded nations to gain strategic influence in the face of China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) that has faced increasing criticism over lack of transparency and disregard for sovereignty of the nations.

"In the words of the prime minister, the corridor 'will become the basis of world trade for hundreds of years to come, and history will remember that this corridor was initiated on Indian soil,'" Sitharaman said. 

More than Rs 2 lakh cr allocated to home ministry

The Interim Budget 2024-25 on Thursday allocated Rs 202868.70 crore to the ministry of home affairs with the highest share of funds going to the paramilitary forces like Central Reserve Police Force, Border Security Force, and Central Industrial Security Force. 

While Rs 132345.47 crore was given to the police under which the paramilitary forces come, Rs 37277.74 crore was given to Jammu and Kashmir, which has been a Union Territory after the abrogation of Article 370 and bifurcation of the state in 2019.

Ladakh got Rs 5958 crore, Andaman and Nicobar Islands Rs 5866.37 crore, Chandigarh Rs 5862.62 crore, Puducherry Rs 3269.00 crore, Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Dama and Diu Rs 2648.97 crore and Rs 1490.10 crore was given to Lakshadweep and Rs 1168.01 to Delhi.

A sum of Rs 1248.91 crore was given to the cabinet under which the expenditure on the council of ministers, cabinet secretariat, Prime Minister's Office, hospitality and entertainment of the government comes.

Among the paramilitary forces, Rs 32809.65 crore was given to the CRPF from a revised estimate of Rs 31389.04 crore in 2023-24, Rs 25027.52 crore to the BSF (Rs 25038.68 crore in 2023-24), Rs 13655.84 crore to CISF (Rs 12929.85 crore), Rs 8253.53 crore to ITBP (Rs 8203.68 crore in 2023-24), Rs 8485.77 crore to SSB (Rs 8435.68 crore in 2023-24) and Rs 7368.33 crore to the Assam Rifles (Rs 7276.29 crore in 2023-24).

The Central Reserve Police Force is mostly deployed for internal security duties, operations against terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir, Naxals in central and eastern India and the insurgents in the Northeast.

The Border Security Force mostly guards the Indo-Pakistan and Indo-Bangladesh borders besides it is also deployed internal security duties. The Central Industrial Security Force guards vital installations like nuclear plants, airports, metro networks.

The Indo Tibetan Border Police guards the Sino-Indian border, the Shashastra Seema Bal guards the Indo-Nepal and Indo-Bhutan borders, the Assam Rifles protects India's border with Myanmar.

While the Intelligence Bureau has been allocated Rs 3195.09 crore (Rs 3268.94 crore in 2023-24), Rs 11177.50 crore to the Delhi police (Rs 11940.33 crore in 2023-24), Rs 506.32 crore to the Special Protection Group (Rs 446.83 crore in 2023-24).

The IB is India's internal intelligence agency, the Delhi Police guards the national capital and the SPG provides the security to the Prime Minister.

The budget allocated Rs 3199.62 crore for security related expenditure and Special Infrastructure Scheme for Left Wing Extremist Areas, Rs 335.00 crore for Border Area Development Programme, Rs 214.44 crore for safe city projects, and Rs 330.00 crore for Land Port Authority of India. 

Govt allocates Rs 312 cr for babus' training, Rs 10 cr for administrative reforms

Over Rs 310 crore has been allocated to the personnel ministry for the next fiscal for the training of government employees, both in India and abroad, and augmenting necessary training-related infrastructure, according to the interim Union Budget 2024-25 presented by finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Thursday.

Of the total outlay of Rs 312 crore for 2024-25, Rs 105.31 crore is to meet establishment-related expenditure for "Training Division, Institute of Secretariat Training and Management and Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration", Rs 120.56 for "Training Schemes" and Rs 86.13 crore for "National Programme for Civil Services Capacity Building" or Mission Karmayogi.

The Mission Karmayogi, dubbed as the biggest bureaucratic reform initiative, is aimed at making government employees more "creative, proactive, professional and technology-enabled".

The Training Division, ISTM in Delhi and Mussoorie-based LBSNAA arrange several training programmes including foundation courses, refresher courses, mid-career training and the likes to equip all levels and grades of secretarial functionaries with adequate exposure to the latest rules and regulations, and aptitude among others.

Expenditure on domestic and overseas travel, course fees and the likes in respect of Central Secretariat Service and Central Secretariat Stenographers Service officials who are to undergo mandatory training at ISTM as a pre-condition for consideration for promotion to the next higher grade have also been included centrally under Rs 105.31 crore budgetary provision.

The amount of Rs 120.56 crore is for schemes like "training for all", domestic funding for foreign training, upgradation of LBSNAA to a centre of excellence and augmentation of training facilities at ISTM, according to the Budget documents.

An amount of Rs 10 crore has been allocated for the administrative reforms.

"This includes scheme provision for Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances scheme for modernisation of government offices, pilot projects on administrative reforms which consists of promotion of e-governance, fostering of good governance, learning from success, sevottam, etc," it said.

An amount of Rs 39.44 crore has been allocated for 2024-25 to meet establishment-related expenditure of Central Information Commission and Public Enterprises Selection Board.

A fund of Rs 2.6 crore has been earmarked for the propagation of Right to Information Act during 2024-25.

The Central Administrative Tribunal, which is entrusted with the redressal of grievances of public servants, has been allocated Rs 157.72 crore for the next financial year to meet establishment-related expenditure.

The Staff Selection Commission, which conducts various recruitment examinations for central government jobs, has been allocated Rs 414.15 crore for 2024-25.