Imagine a government allocating billions for critical programs, only to leave over half of it untouched. That's the startling reality revealed by recent data, showing that in the first nine months of the fiscal year, the government has spent a mere 40% of the budget earmarked for its 53 largest schemes. And here's where it gets even more concerning: they predict spending less than 75% by year-end.
These aren’t just any schemes—they’re the big ones, each with a budget of Rs 500 crore or more for 2025-26. Funded jointly by the Centre and states, these initiatives span critical areas like infrastructure, welfare, and education. But the numbers tell a story of underutilization. Only three schemes—infrastructure maintenance under health and family welfare, the Indira Gandhi National Widow Pension Scheme, and pre-matric scholarships for SCs—managed to match their revised estimates (RE) with the original budget.
But here's where it gets controversial: For three schemes, the RE exceeded the budget estimate (BE) by over 100%. These include the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, post-matric scholarships for STs, and the National Mission on Natural Farming. Why the overshoot? Is it efficient planning or a sign of unexpected demand?
For the remaining 47 schemes, the RE falls short of the BE, sometimes dramatically. Take the PM Krishi Sinchayee Yojana, for instance. Its RE of Rs 150 crore is just a sixth of the BE of Rs 850 crore. Overall, the BEs for these 53 schemes totaled over Rs 5 lakh crore, but the revised estimates barely reach Rs 3.8 lakh crore—just 74.4% of the allocation.
In the nine months ending December 31, only Rs 2 lakh crore was released, accounting for 41.2% of the budget and 55.4% of the REs. Some schemes are particularly alarming: PMKSY-Command Area Development, PM eBus Sewa, and Jal Jeevan Mission, among others, have REs below 40% of their BEs. Worse, six schemes saw actual releases under 10% of their BEs.
Among the larger schemes, the disparities are stark. The Jal Jeevan Mission, with a BE of Rs 67,000 crore, spent a mere Rs 31 crore in nine months. PM Schools for Rising India (BE: Rs 7,500 crore) spent Rs 473 crore, while the Pradhan Mantri Anusuchit Jaati Abhyuday Yojana (BE: Rs 2,140 crore) managed only Rs 40 crore.
And this is the part most people miss: Is this underutilization a result of bureaucratic inefficiencies, shifting priorities, or something else entirely? Could it be that some schemes are simply overfunded, while others are starved of resources?
This raises a critical question: How can we ensure that these funds are allocated and spent more effectively? What changes are needed to bridge the gap between budget and execution? We’d love to hear your thoughts—do you think this is a matter of poor planning, or are there deeper systemic issues at play? Let’s spark a conversation in the comments!
