The human resource development ministry has asked for a 20 per cent rise in the budgetary allocation for the department of elementary education to take it to Rs 15,000 crore (Rs 150 billion) from Rs 1,231 crore (Rs 12.31 billion) last year.
The ministry has also asked for a 35 per cent increase in the budgetary allocation of the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan scheme for 2006-07.
The budgetary allocation of the department was raised 56 per cent last year from Rs 8,000 crore (Rs 80 billion) in 2004-05 to Rs 12,531 crore (Rs 125.31 billion) in 2005-06. The department is confident of increasing it to at least Rs 15,000 crore (Rs 150 billion) in the coming fiscal year.
"The proposal also includes a 35 per cent increase in the allocation of the SSA scheme as it is a time-bound scheme and the goals have to be achieved in the next few years," another official told Business Standard.
The SSA scheme, launched by the government to provide elementary education to all children in the age group of 6-14 years by 2010, had a budget of Rs 7,156 crore (Rs 71.56 billion) this year, up from Rs 6,708 crore (Rs 67.08 billion) last year.
The increase in the budget was to address the needs of physical infrastructure like construction of new schools, drinking water by 2008.
"The increased allocations are because of the requirements of infrastructure which the department is trying to address in two years," the official added.
The department is also hoping to achieve its target of seven lakh additional teachers by next year. "The increased allocations will also be used for meeting the goal of 700,000 new primary school teachers," he added by the end of the Tenth Plan," he added.
