The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Mismatch between commitment and allocation

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, May 02, 2004

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Mismatch between commitment and allocation

By Ramya Kannan

CHENNAI, MAY 1. Tamil Nadu's policy-level commitment to the welfare of children seems unmatched by budgetary allocation, a recent study by the Indian Council for Child Welfare (ICCW) reveals.

The study, which spanned two years (April 2001-March 2003), analysed the budget allocations for children between 1998 and 2003 and sought to ascertain the efficacy of programmes, fiscal adequacy and effectiveness of service delivery.

"The quantum of allocation serves as a powerful signal of political commitment. Though the State Government has, by and large, responded favourably to further the all-round development of children... the prime indicators remained near-stagnant," Ananthalakshmi, primary investigator, and director, Information documentation and Research Centre, ICCW, said.

"The Infant Mortality Rate (IMR), the Maternal Mortality Rate (MMR) and the Under Five Mortality Rate showed negligible or no change and malnutrition seemed persistent during the period of study."

"The child expenditure ratio (CER) represents the proportion of total revenue expenditure of the state earmarked for/spent on programmes for children," Dr. Ananthalakshmi said. Though the actual allocation/expenditure might have marginally increased, it is the CER that is an indicator of the true picture. It shows a steady decline: from 26.02 per cent in 1998-1999 to 21.27 per cent in 2002-2003.

The education sector claims the maximum expenditure, followed by health, nutrition and early childhood care and development. The sectors of children in difficult circumstances and the girl child seem to have a low priority.

Funds unutilised

The education share of the Total Revenue Expenditure (TRE) was less than 25 per cent for over a decade. It was 22.9 per cent in 1990-91 and was gradually reduced to 18.5 per cent in 2002-2003.

An alarming trend in all sectors, notably education, was the huge `unspent' money being returned annually to the government. In 2000- 2001, 48.76 per cent of the money allocated for supply of textbooks remained unspent. The allocation under a special incentive scheme for promotion of literacy among girls was underutilised by Rs. 8 crores in 1999-2000.

The allocation for child health from 1998 to 2003 ranged from 39.33 to 42.27 per cent of the total health budget. `Preventive care' is the only sector, which renders major direct services to children, but the allocation for this reduced from Rs.32.53 crores in 1998-99 to Rs. 23.68 crores in 2002-03. Though the State made commendable progress in building infrastructure, nearly eradicating polio and improving life expectancy, conventional indicators of the health status and social development present a picture of stagnation. The MMR was stagnant at 1.3 and the IMR at 51 in 2002.

The State had committed itself to achieving a malnutrition-free status, but unspent balanced in the sector was increasing: from 0.56 per cent of the total allocation in 1998 - 99 to 6.49 in 2000-2001.

For the State to achieve its vision, allocations should be fully utilised and outreach extended, said Dr. Ananthalakshmi.

Girl child

The analysis shows that the allocation for the girl child fluctuated. There was a steep rise in allocation in 2001-02 with the introduction of the Cradle Baby Scheme. The share of allocation in the TRE was 0.18 per cent in 1998 and 1999, dropped drastically the next year and peaked in 2000-2001 at 0.19 per cent. In 2003-2004, it was 0.16 per cent.

The study, listing the various schemes available to girls and women, points out that the high rate of anaemia was cause for concern. With 60 per cent of pregnant women were diagnosed to be anaemic, better budgetary allocation and effective implementation of schemes are essential.

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