Strategic Budgetary Momentum: Then and Now

Abstract

Changes in expenditure provisions through the budget are assumed to reflect the changes in the strategic directions pursued by the government to meet any of the economic challenges.This article compares ministry-wise budgetary provisions ‘Then (2013-14) and Now (2023-24 and 2024-25)’ wherein the increases are higher than the averages.

The assimilation reveals that the decadal growth achieved in 2023-24 over 2013-14, both in relation to GDP as also PCI, is fairly less than the growth achieved in the previous decade. Impliedly the rate of growth in the economic deliverables to the stakeholders is less than the one in the previous decade. The lower pace in these two parameters pinpoints a gap in translating the strategic allocations into stakeholder benefits.

It is opined that Cost Benefit Analysis in terms of outcome evaluation for each of the major stakeholders, (i.e., ‘the poor, the women, the youth, and the farmer’) may throw up useful insights for appropriate strategic reorientation and regaining of the momentum of the budgets towards the Amrit Kaal.