Rlys, power, roads in for major budgetary windfall

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New Delhi, February 15:: The Railways, roads and power sectors will be the major beneficiaries in the forthcoming Budget as they are likely to enjoy the highest increase in budgetary allocations over the previous year.

The budgetary support for the second phase of the national highway development programme (NHDP) is expected to be Rs 7,500 crore during the 2002-03 fiscal against Rs 5,127 crore during the previous year. Allocation for the power sector, too, is likely to shoot up to Rs 7,500 crore from Rs 4,328 crore during the reporting fiscal, while the Railways are expected to get Rs 7,900 crore against Rs 5,127 crore during the current fiscal.

Major increase in the power sector outlay is due to the enhanced allocations to the accelerated power development programme (APDP) for facilitating the restructuring of state electricity boards. This is based on the recommendations of the Montek Singh Ahluwalia committee report on power.

In the roads sector, a substantial commitment of resources had already been made by the Prime Minister for the NHDP and the rural roads programme. In case of NHDP, the Budgetary support, including cess, may be increased to Rs 7,500 crore for tying up second phase projects.

Although, the Railways had asked for a higher amount, it is likely to get a substantial increase of about 40 per cent in its outlay for completing its pending projects and flow of budgetary support for safety. For the forthcoming fiscal, the total gross budgetary support (GBS) is likely to be about Rs 1,13,000 crore, up from Rs 95,000 crore fixed during the previous year.

The irrigation sector is expected to get a support of Rs 3,000 crore against Rs 2,000 crore in the current fiscal while education will get an allocation of Rs 6,750 crore from Rs 4,000 crore during the previous year.