The Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana received the highest allocation among the schemes in the Budget for FY25. Different schemes are at different levels of implementation.
Here is a look at the 5 schemes that received the highest allocations.
Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana
In Budget 2024-25, the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY) received an allocation of Rs 2 lakh crore.
The Budget Estimates for FY24 stood at Rs 1,97,350 crore, which was raised to Rs 2,05,250 crore in FY25. The Revised Estimates for the scheme was Rs 2,12,332 crore.
The scheme comes under the Department of Food and Public Distribution. The Centre had said that it will continue to provide free food grains to about 81.35 crore beneficiaries (i.e. Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) households and Priority Households (PHH) beneficiaries) for a period of next five years with effect from January 1, 2024, as per their entitlement (i.e. 35 kg of food grains per AAY household per month and 5 kg of food grains per person per month in case of Priority Household).
National Highways Authority of India
National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) was constituted by an Act of Parliament in 1988 under the administrative control of the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways NHAI has been set up as a Central Authority to develop, maintain and manage the National Highways entrusted to it by the Government of India.
The NHAI received an allocation of Rs 1,68,464 crore in the financial year FY25. The Budget Estimate for FY24 was Rs 1,62,207 crore.
The National Highways (NH) network in the country grew from about 91,287 km in March 2014 to about 1,46,126 km, as on July 25, 2024. The Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) has significantly enhanced rural road connectivity. Under this scheme, 8,10,250 km of road length was sanctioned, out of which 7,65,601 km (94%) has been constructed. As of July 26, 2024, the total expenditure on this initiative stands at Rs. 3,24,186 crore, according to the government.
A key component of NHAI is the Bharatmala Pariyojana, under which projects are executed in categories such as Economic Corridors Development, Inter-corridor and Feeder Routes Development, National Corridors Efficiency Improvement, Border and International Connectivity Roads, Coastal and Port Connectivity Roads, and Expressways. This flagship program has awarded 26,425 km and constructed 17,411 km of roads until March 2024, with an expenditure of Rs. 4.59 lakh crore as of March 31, 2024.
Road Works (MoRTH)
For Road Works under the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH), the Budget allocation for FY25 stood at Rs 1,15,093 crore, which was Rs 1,07,713 crore. The Revised Estimates for FY25 was Rs 1,08,520 crore.
Urea Subsidy
The Urea Subsidy Scheme which is a Central Sector Scheme of the Ministry of Chemicals & Fertilizers is applicable for both Kharif and Rabi seasons. Urea Subsidy Scheme has three components, i.e., Indigenous Urea, Imported Urea and Uniform Freight Subsidy. Indigenous urea subsidy is administered to the urea units towards indigenous urea production. Imported Urea subsidy is directed towards imports made to bridge the gap between assessed demand and indigenous production of urea in the country. Both components also include freight subsidies for movement of urea across the country under the Uniform Freight Subsidy Policy.
Under the Urea Subsidy Scheme, Urea is presently provided to the farmers at a statutorily notified Maximum Retail Price (MRP). The MRP of 45 kg bag of urea is Rs. 242 per bag (exclusive of charges towards neem coating and taxes as applicable).
In the Budget 2024-25, urea subsidy received an allocation of Rs 1,19,000 crore, which was raised from Rs 1,31,100 crore in FY24. The Revised Estimates for FY25 stood at Rs 1,28,594 crore.
Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Programme
Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (Mahatma Gandhi NREGS) is a demand-driven wage employment Scheme which provides for the enhancement of livelihood security of the households in rural areas of the country by providing at least one hundred days of guaranteed wage employment in every financial year to every household whose adult members volunteer to do unskilled manual work. It provides livelihood security, i.e. fall back options for livelihood for the rural households, when no better employment opportunity is available.
In Budget FY25, the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Programme (MGNREGP) received an allocation of Rs 86,000 crore, which was raised from Rs 60,000 crore in BE FY24. The Revised Estimates stood at Rs 86,000 crore.
The Finance Ministry allocated 22 per cent less funds for MGNREGA in revised estimates for the current financial year (2023-24), as compared to Rs 1.1 lakh crore sought by the Rural Development Ministry, a Parliamentary committee report tabled in the Lok Sabha had revealed, reports The Indian Express.
The report – “Rural Employment Through Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) – An Insight into Wage Rates and Other Matters Relating Thereto” — shows that the Department of Rural Development (DoRD) had sought Rs 1.1 lakh crore for MGNREGA at the Revised Estimate (RE) stage, which was 83 per cent (Rs 50,000 crore) higher as compared to its Budget Estimate (BE) of Rs 60,000 crore for the current financial year. The finance ministry, however, revised it upward to Rs 86,000 crore, which was much lower than the amount sought by the Rural Development Ministry.
Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojna (PMAY) – Rural
The Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) is a flagship housing initiative aimed at providing affordable housing to the urban and rural poor. Launched in 2015, PMAY Urban focuses on creating housing for the economically weaker sections in cities, facilitating access to basic amenities.
The allocation for Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojna (PMAY) – Rural stood at Rs 54,500 crore in Budget 2025, up from Rs 54,487 crore in Budget Estimates for FY24. The actual Budget for FY23 was Rs 44,962.
In August, the Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved the proposal of the Department of Rural Development for “Implementation of the Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana – Gramin (PMAY-G) during FY 2024-25 to 2028-29” wherein financial assistance is to be provided for the construction of two crore more houses at existing unit assistance of Rs 1.20 lakh in plain areas and Rs 1.30 lakh in North Eastern Region States and Hill States of Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Union Territories of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh.
Under the PMAY-Urban, a total of 118.64 lakh houses have been sanctioned, as of data available on the official website of PMAY-U. A total of 115.21 lakh houses have been grounded and 86.68 lakh houses have been completed.
According to data provided by the official website of PMAY-Grameen, 3,11,79,308 houses have been sanctioned and 2,65,74,256 houses have been completed.