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Panel concerned over gap between budget allocated to MoA & its impact on implementation of various projects
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Gireesh Babu, New Delhi
December 13 , 2025
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Raising concerns over the continuing gap between the budget allocated to the Ministry of Ayush (MoA) and its impact on the implementation of various projects, the Parliamentary Panel on Health and Family Welfare has recommended to the Ministry of Ayush to approach the Ministry of Finance to seek higher budgetary allocation at the supplementary demand stage.
The Panel noted that the Ministry of Ayush was able to utilize 99.17% of the Budget Estimate (BE) for the year 2024-25, however, there has been significant gap or shortfall of around Rs. 1414.16 crore in BE 2025-26 between projected demand and allocated fund to the Ministry.
The Department-related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Health and Family Welfare in the 168th report on action taken by the government on the recommendations the Panel has made in the 165th report on Demands for Grants 2025-26 of the Ministry of Ayush, also expressed its deep concern that despite the Committee's considered recommendation for allocation of at least 10% of total health budget to the Ministry of Ayush, the actual budget allocation to the Ministry has not been increased adequately.
"The Committee expresses concern that the Ministry of Finance is either not allocating adequate budget to the Ministry of Ayush or the proposals placed by the Ministry of Ayush before the Ministry of Finance for higher allocation is not sufficiently convincing. Further, such variations recurring oftentimes affect the achievement of set targets in cherished schemes of the Ministry of Ayush," said the Panel headed by Prof. Ram Gopal Yadav, in the report presented in the Rajya Sabha on December 11.
"The Committee, therefore, desires that the Ministry of Finance should take cognizance of such financial gap between Projected Demand and Allocated fund, and look into the matter with due consideration at RE stage. The Committee reiterates that reduced budgetary allocation to the Ministry of Ayush, in comparison to the projected demand, would have an adverse impact on the implementation of originally conceived projects/schemes/programmes," it added.
The Panel once again recommended the Ministry of Ayush to approach the Ministry of Finance to seek higher budgetary allocation at the supplementary demand stage to ensure that no undertaken project/scheme gets suffered for want of requisite fund.
It has earlier noted that projected demand of the Ministry for the year 2025-26 was Rs. 5,408.48 crore against which an amount of Rs. 3,992.90 crore has been allocated in BE 2025-26.
In its 108th Report and 128th Report, the Panel has recommended allocation of 5% and 10% of total health budget, yet the budget allocation is been slowly reduced from year 2023-24, 2024-25 and 2025-26 in comparison to that of Department of Health and Family Welfare and sought the Ministry to place strong proposals before the ministry of finance backed by visionary schemes and programmes that would warrant a higher budgetary allocation.
In its latest report, the Panel expressed deep concern that despite its considered recommendation for allocation of at least 10% of total health budget to the Ministry of Ayush, the actual budget allocation to the Ministry has not been increased adequately.
"The Ministry has just furnished, in its Action Taken Note, that recommendation of the Committee has been noted for compliance which reflects the reluctant approach of the Ministry of Ayush. The Committee expects that the Ministry would furnish the response of the Ministry of Finance to the proposal of the Ministry of Ayush for higher budgetary allocation," it added.
Observing that the Ministry, in its response on the recommendations on budget allocation reflected the essence of its original recommendations without providing concrete implementation strategies, timelines, or achievement of measureable targets, the Panel also recommended the Ministry to provide comprehensive measurable implementation statistics going forward.
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