A study

On

Government fund allocation towards

women & girls

in

West Bengal

September 2010

The context:While working out an “assessment of counter trafficking work in West Bengal” some gaps surfaced that seeks answer to some very relevant questions. Planning commission document puts “ ensuring that at least 33 percent of the direct and indirect

beneficiaries of all government schemes are women and girl children” as a monitorable socio economic target for 11th Five Year Plan (vide: An approach to 11th Five Year Plan, Chapter 7 Box number 10). With the specifics laid down by Indian Planning Commission on inclusion of Women agencies in development, this became exciting news for civil society organizations & women right organizations. Surely that was an advocacy brilliance which came out through intensive consultation with civil society organizations and rights groups. But at the same time it calls for more vigilance on the part of civil society organizations to find out if the set programme practically reaching the end. Are women & girl children really getting the stated percentage allocation for them? The questions loom large when the previous research mentioned depicts a darker reality from the Panchayets of seven districts of West Bengal. It shows that

• There are hardly any schemes for girl children available at the grass root

• There are hardly any participation of women & girls in Panchayet work

Thus this puts us to the big question, to find out where are the 33% of resource allocation meant for women & girls. Can we really find any application of the direction that 11th Five Year Plan has asked to provide in state budget of West Bengal? If there is allocation at the state level, does that really go & manifest itself at grass root? Does the highly acclaimed three tier panchayet system is efficiently implementing the vision & allocation decided at the state level?

These are the questions that this study wanted to look at through different levels. It at one end has looked into the state wise resource allocation through the budget study of 2008-09. At the other end it went through survey done at 5 selected villages at the Panchayet Level as well as at the Block level. The results create some deep concerns which the civil society at large will bear at the end of this study.

The findings:The study has tried looking into the issue from 2 different perceptives:

1. The budgetary allocation towards women & girls in West Bengal State Budget 08-09

2. Fund distribution at rural level – both at Panchayet & at block level

Perceptive:

• Two budget heads have been considered, one, “Actuals of 2007 -2008”. This gives the actual spending in the financial year of 2007 & 2008. This helps to understand what has been the actual spending in the year of 2007 & 2008. This helps developing an insight towards the decision towards allocation of funds towards different heads. Two, “revised estimates of 2008 & 2009”. This helps to understand that what has been the spending in 2008 – 2009. This again gives a picture of fund allocation in the financial year of 2008- 2009. Also these two years can show a pattern in the fund allocation.

• In the inter-departmental fund allocation two issues have been taken care of to make analysis simple & easy to understand. Department wise fund allocation to the department of Social Welfare, Women & Child Development has been considered. It has been compared to that of overall budget of the government of West Bengal. The percentage share of this department which is considered to be the nodal department as far as work with NGOs & Voluntary Sector is concerned. At the same time Intra-departmental fund allocation of the department of Social Welfare, Women & Child Development has been considered to find out a comparative study between the support to organizations running institutional care for women & child & other agendas of the department

The budgetary allocation towards women & girls in West Bengal State Budget 08-09

Stake of W&C and Sw in total budget & inter year comparison This section highlights the % of the above mentioned department in total budget outlay & the change in the allocation for the same department across 2007-08 & 2008-09

a) Share of women & child development & social welfare in total budget in the actuals of 2007 -2008 & revised estimate of 2008 -2009

Actuals 2007 -2008

Grand Total (government A/c) 595078779Women Child & Social Welfare 2344836

(rupees in thousand)

Revised Estimate 2008-2009

Grand Total (government A/c) 726076869Women Child & Social Welfare 3975660

(rupees in thousand)

This shows a meager allocation of budget to the department of Social Welfare, Women & Child Development which is considered to be the nodal department as far as work with NGOs & Voluntary Sector is concerned compared to the overall budget allocation of Government of West Bengal over two consecutive years. This highlights the fact that although there has been an increase to the absolute amount of the budget allocated to this important department, the pie of this department to that of the entire budget has remained to the same meager amount. This also highlights that there must be some policy decisions towards the allocation of the budget which makes the share of pie nearly same in two consecutive years. This calls for a greater need to research in to the policy decisions of the government.

b) Comparison between actual expenses incurred during 2007 -2008 & revised estimate of 2008 – 2009 on Women & child Development & Social Welfare Department

Actual expenses for 2007-2008 2344836Revised estimate for 2008-2009 3975660

(rupees in thousand)

The above diagram reiterates the fact that there has been an increase in the total/absolute amount of the fund allocation to the department mentioned. But this in conjunction to the previous diagrams makes the point again clear that the percentage allocation has been meager & similar.

c) Comparison between Centrally sponsored schemes in actual outlay 2007-2008 & revised estimate in 2008-2009 (Outside State Plan)

Actuals 2007-2008 3946937Revised estimate 2008 -2009 4803000

(rupees in thousand)

The above diagram explains that within the elements of the allocation to the department, the part contribution under the heading of Centrally Sponsored Scheme has increased.

d) Comparison between central sector (new schemes) in actual expenses in 2007-2008 & revised estimate 2008 -2009 (Outside State Plan)

Actuals 2007 -2008 70237Revised estimate 2008-2009 45000

(rupees in thousand)

The above diagram explains that within the elements of the allocation to the department, the part contribution under the heading of Central Sector (New Schemes) has decreased.

e) Comparison between State Plan (Tenth Plan Committed) in actual expenses in 2007-2008 & revised estimate 2008 -2009 (Outside State Plan)

Actuals 2007 -2008 550Revised estimate 2008-2009 2298

(rupees in thousand)

The above diagram explains that within the elements of the allocation to the department, the part contribution under the heading of State Plan (Tenth Plan Committed) has decreased.

Stake of Child Protection & related issues in the departmental budget of W&C and SW (Intra departmental comparison across actuals in 2007-2008 & revised estimates of 2008-2009)

This section investigates the share of pie among institutional care by voluntary sector and the other relevant allocation within the departmental budget of the department of Social Development, Women & Child Development. This helps understanding the stake of NGOs working for providing care & protection to children & women to the overall budget of the department.

a) % of Grants in aid to voluntary organisaitons for welfare of children in need of care & protection in total departmental budget in actuals of 2007-2008

Actuals 2007 -2008

Total departmental budget 2344836Grant in aid to voluntary organisaitons for welfare of children in need for care & protection

17846

(rupees in thousand)

b) % of Grants in aid to voluntary organisaitons for welfare of children in need of care & protection in total departmental budget in revised estimate of 2008-2009

Total departmental budget 3975660Grant in aid to voluntary organisaitons for welfare of children in need for care & protection

31500

(rupees in thousand)

c) Comparison between fund allocation under “grant in aid to voluntary organizations for welfare of children in need of care & protection” across actuals of 2007-2008 & revised estimate of 2008-2009

Actuals 2007-2008 17846Revised estimate 2008-2009 31500

(rupees in thousand)

The above three diagrams, a), b) & c) sums up the finding. These reveal the point that the share of pie to the voluntary sector working for the development as well as care and protection of women & children receives very low attention from the government. Diagram a) & b) clearly points out that the share of this head compared to the total allocation of the department mentioned is meager and the percentage remains nearly static over two consecutive years. Though the absolute increase in this head has happened among these two years, but the share remained nearly the same. This points out to the fact that there must be some policy decisions which makes this allocation nearly constant. This like in the case of share of pipe of the above mentioned department compared to the whole budget of government of West Bengal calls for an answer to why this allocation.

d) % of allocation towards establishment of ICDS projects in total departmental budget in actuals of 2007-2008

Actuals 2007 -2008

Total departmental budget 2344836Establishment of ICDS projects 676000

(rupees in thousand)

e) % of allocation towards establishment of ICDS projects in total departmental budget in revised estimates of 2008-2009

Actuals 2007 -2008

Total departmental budget 3975660

Establishment of ICDS projects 910000

The above two diagrams d) & e) shows the near biggest stake holder in the departmental budget of Social Welfare, Women & Child Development, that is ICDS. This is not to compete with ICDS but just to make an insight to the fact that the support to voluntary sector working for the wellbeing & care & protection of Children & Women is very little. At this junction this will also be pertinent to mention that in West Bengal the ICDS programme is primarily run by the political institutions not NGOs. This is also would not be out of context to mention that West Bengal Government in its political approach consistently believed more in government institutions than civil society institutions. May be this allocation speaks of the same attitude in financial terms.

f) Comparison between fund allocation under “establishment of ICDS work ” across actuals of 2007-2008 & revised estimate of 2008-2009

Actuals 2007-2008 676000

Revised estimate 2008-2009 910000(rupees in thousand)

The above diagram explains that within the elements of the allocation to the department, the part contribution under the heading of the establishment of ICDS work has increased in absolute amount.

g) Vocational training for girls & women in government homes

Actuals 2007-2008Budget estimate 2008-2009 50Revised budget estimate 2008-2009 50Budget Estimate 2009-2010 30

(rupees in thousand)

h) Implementation of Swawlamban (NORAD)

Actuals 2007-2008 600Budget estimate 2008-2009 1200Revised budget estimate 2008-2009 200Budget Estimate 2009-2010 1200 (rupees in thousand)

The above two figures, under the g) & h) table shows anther situation. Both the tables talks about the support to civil society institutions working towards betterment of women & child and in particular these two tables show consecutive allocation of government fund towards training to women & children who needs to become self reliant. In reality the NGOs running shelter homes receive nothing from government to make their inmates self trained. The consecutive fund allocation to this segment from 2007-08 to 09-10 shows a pathetic condition which calls for immediate attention.

1. Fund distribution at rural level – both at Panchayet & at block level

The followings are the areas under one district 24 PGS (North) (both Panchayet level & Block Level) a quick survey has been done to understand the fund allocation & women’s stake in it:

1. Ramchandrapur, Panchayet – Simulpur, Gaighata

2. Chikanpara, Panchayet – Ichapur2, Gaighata

3. Panchayet – Kalinagar

4. Sangrampur, Panchayet – Sibhati

5. Block – Basirhat I

6. Panchayet - Sayesta Nagar

7. Panchayet – Aturiya

8. Sutia – Panchayet – Sutia, Gaighata

Following are the questions that has been asked to the targets

1. What are the programmes you have at your village /block for girls & women? (please mention programmes under department heads)

2. How many women & girls are covered under these programmes? (please mention programme wise)

3. Apart from these the other development programmes you have, what percentage of those gets spend for women or if at all gets spend?

4. How many departments you have for panchayet or block development?

5. In last one year how many meeting of Panchayet Samity has been convened?

6. What has been the participation of women in those meetings?

7. What is the number of women engaged in your Panchayet?

8. What has been the participation of women politically in Panchayet affairs?

9. How many women panchayet heads have been elected in last 4 elections?

Answers to the questions:

1. What are the programmes you have at your village /block for girls & women? (please mention programmes under department heads)

a) Janai Sukhya Yojna

b) Balika Samridhhi Yojna

c) SGSY + SHG

d) Child Nutrition

e) Animal Husbandry

f) NREGA

g) India Abasan Yojna

2. How many women & girls are covered under these programmes?

Majority: more than 40% of the beneficiary are women

3. Apart from these the other development programmes you have, what percentage of those gets spend for women or if at all gets spend?

6 out of 8 cases have said “we do not know”

4. How many departments you have for panchayet or block development?

Majority: 5 out of 8areas have said that they know

5. In last one year how many meeting of Panchayet Samity has been convened?

Majority: 5 out of 8 areas covered said “less than one a month”

6. What has been the participation of women in those meetings?

Majority: 5 out of 8 areas covered said “Few women participated”

7. What is the number of women engaged in your Panchayet?

Majority: 6 out of 8 areas covered said “1-3”

8. What has been the participation of women politically in Panchayet affairs?

4 out of 8 have said “few participated”, 2 said “very good” and 2 said “Good”

9. How many women panchayet heads have been elected in last 4 elections?

Majority, 7 out of 8 areas surveyed said “2 – 4 “

Conclusion:Given the above information, flowing are the bullets:

• Resource allocation towards women & child development in the context of total budgetary allocation is meager

• Though there has been some increase in the absolute allocation towards this department from last financial year to current year, the relative stake of the same in total budget is abysmal

• There has been a decline in the contribution from Central Sector “New schemes” in these two years

• The State share in the FYP has been increased in current financial year

• In the intra departmental budget distribution towards Grant in Aid to voluntary organisaitons has seen absolute increase between the last & current financial year, but the relative stake of this distribution to the whole departmental budget remained nearly the same

• The majority of departmental spending goes towards ICDS work and therefore the stake of issues focused on children in need of care & protection gets very meager %

• Vocational training to girls in homes receives nearly nil amount of financial support

• At the grass root, the information towards knowing the allocation on women & children is clumsy & non transparent

• Although there are some schemes towards women, very few gets directed to the beneficiary

• Women participation towards decision making at Panchayet is still little

• Panahayet Samity Meetings are still very few infrequent

• Still in electing women panchayet heads, resistance works