I&B likely to get 25% more in Plan outlay.

            The ministry of information and broadcasting (I&B) may get a 25% hike in the Plan outlay in the forthcoming Budget to ensure that public broadcaster Prasar Bharati undertakes the broadcast coverage of the Commonwealth Games (CWG) 2010 and sets up an international media centre.

            The amount will be a little over Rs 1,000 crore compared to 2009-10 allocation of Rs 800 crore.

             However, this is around 55% less than the ministry’s expectations of around Rs 1,600 crore.

              “Some ministries are getting priority over others and I&B ministry may get less than what it has asked for. However, there is no final decision has been taken and talks are on with various ministries,” a senior government official said.

               The outlay of the I&B ministry for the 2010-2011 fiscal may go up only by around 10-15% over the allocation of Rs 2,568 crore made in the 2009-10 Budget, sources said. The Budget for this fiscal saw a 34% increase in the outlay of the ministry over the 2008-09 figure of Rs 1,910 crore.

               According to government officials, the Planning Commission is likely to recommend a plan outlay of Rs 1,016 crore for I&B ministry in the forthcoming Budget, up from Rs 800 crore allocated for 2009-10 in the Budget estimates. However, this is less than the ministry’s expectation of Rs 1,638 crore for 2010-2011 fiscal.
 

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