15 per cent hike for MEA

Special diplomatic expenditure gets a significant 13 per cent hike in the 2002-03 Budget for the external affairs ministry whose overall outlay has been fixed at Rs 32.30 billion, showing a 15 per cent increase over last year's revised estimates.

Allocation for this discretionary expenditure has been pegged at Rs 7.85 billion as against Rs 6.90 billion, according to Budget proposals announced by Finance Minister Yashwant Sinha in the Lok Sabha.

However, the budgetary allocation for entertainment expenditure has been slashed by Rs 35 million to Rs 245 million.

Expenditure for computerisation programme of the passport offices, printing of machine readable passport booklets and other related activities has been fixed at Rs 1.01 million, an increase by Rs 10 million.

The outlay for expenses on India's representation of 157 missions and posts abroad gets a Rs 270 million increase to Rs 7.87 billion.

As part of India's technical and economic co-operation with Bhutan and Bangladesh, the Budget shows an outlay of Rs 8.31 billion and Rs 5.97 billion respectively, representing an increase by Rs 1.75 billion and Rs 1 billion respectively.

While Nepal will get Rs 1.07 billion, Sri Lanka will receive Rs 180 million under this programme. Myanmar and Maldives will get Rs 180 million and Rs 90 million respectively.

Funds for other developing countries under this programme has been fixed at almost last year's level at Rs 1.16 billion.

While aid to African countries has been reduced by Rs 24 million to Rs 52 million, the amount earmarked for Central Asia has gone up marginally to Rs 55 million.

Other expenditure grants to the Indian Council for Cultural Relations has gone up nominally from last year's revised estimates of Rs 416 million to Rs 424 million.

For acquisition, construction and upkeep of residences and chanceries abroad, the allocation has been enhanced from Rs 782 million to Rs 1.04 billion.

The budgetary support under the plan outlay for the ministry has been hiked by Rs 2 billion and fixed at Rs 6 billion.

The allocation for organising training programmes for Indian and foreign diplomats by the Foreign Service Institute has been increased to Rs 21 million.

PTI

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