Budget brings no relief to health sector

Finance Minister P Chidambaram’s presentation of the budget has left many in the health sector disappointed. The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has been allotted Rs 37,330 crore. Of this, Rs 21,239 crore has been allocated to the National Health Mission (NHM). However, the government has merged the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) and the National Urban Health Mission (NUHM) while making allocation. Last year, Rs 20,822 crore was allocated to NRHM alone.

Are our budgets participatory?

The Union budget is as elusive as the Holy Grail before it is presented. It evolves under a veil of secrecy for six months before it is tabled in Lok Sabha. The Union Cabinet gets to see it just a few hours before it is tabled.  The Union budget accounts for close to 50 per cent of all budgets in the country.