edited by: Pathikrit Sen Gupta
Last Update: February 01, 2023, 14:57 IST
The increase in allocation is more than the previous year’s increase (9.62 per cent). Representative photo / PTI
The pattern of plans for 2023-24 with an increase in vehicles, army aircraft, heavy machines and a decrease in the purchase of Air Force aircraft shows that the government is increasing the capabilities of the army amid tensions with China and Pakistan.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in Budget 2023-24 Announced an increase of about 13 per cent for the defense from the previous financial year.
The increase in allocation is higher than last year’s increase (9.62 per cent), indicating the government’s aim to further boost the defense grid of national security.
focus areas
The pattern of plans for 2023-24 with an increase in vehicles, army aircraft, heavy machines and a decrease in the purchase of Air Force aircraft shows that the government is increasing the capabilities of the army amid tensions with China and Pakistan.
There have been several instances in recent months when China has tried to unilaterally change the status quo on the border.
According to the budget document, this year the government has allocated Rs 5.25 lakh crore to Rs 5.94 lakh crore for defence.
The government has also increased the budget for border road development works from Rs 4500 crore to Rs 5000 crore. Similarly, the outlay for construction works (Army) has been increased from Rs 5,596 crore to Rs 6,789 crore, and the allocation for aircraft and aero engines (Army) has been more than doubled from Rs 2,070 crore to Rs 5,500 crore Is.
The Air Force’s budget for aircraft and aero engines has been reduced from Rs 18,966 crore to Rs 15,722 crore, indicating that no major purchases will be made in this financial year. In addition, the allocation for heavy and medium vehicles for the armed forces has been increased from Rs 1,817 crore to Rs 3,000 crore.
The Navy has also received a boost as the budget for equipment, land and naval dockyards/projects has been increased massively. According to the budget document, the Navy will get Rs 9,500 crore from Rs 6,000 crore for equipment. Also, dockyard projects will get Rs 6,725 crore, which was Rs 3,842 crore for the financial year 2022-23. The government will spend about Rs 1500 crore on the Navy-Land scheme, which was only Rs 17 crore in the previous budget.
Agnipath
The government has decided to allocate around Rs 4,600 crore for the Agneepath Recruitment Scheme.
According to the budget document, Rs 3800 crore has been given to the Army, Rs 300 crore to the Navy and Rs 166 crore to the Indian Air Force (IAF) for this scheme.
last year’s defense budget
Last year the defense budget was 13.31% of the total budget. This included an amount of Rs 1.19 lakh crore for defense pension. The total defense budget represented an increase of Rs 46,970 crore (9.82%) as compared to the budget estimates for 2021-22.
“Through enhanced budgetary support over the years, the government has placed the modernization and infrastructure development of the armed forces at the center stage of the national security and defense planning process. The total allocation under capital outlay of defense services has been increased from Rs 86,740 crore in 2013-14 to Rs 1.52 lakh crore in 2022-23. There has been an increase of 76% over a period of nine years. Also, during this period, the total defense budget, including defense pensions, has increased by 107.29%, from Rs 2.53 lakh crore in 2013-14 to Rs 5.25 lakh crore in 2022-23,” the government said last year. Said after the budget presentation.
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