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Make in India gets priority in defence budget

Strategy to rope in neighbouring countries, emphasis on Make in India in defence sector and development of border areas along with the road network seem to be the focus areas for the Modi government in the union budget for 2015-16.

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Strategy to rope in neighbouring countries, emphasis on Make in India in defence sector and development of border areas along with the road network seem to be the focus areas for the Modi government in the union budget for 2015-16.

Giving a good hike of 19% in fund allocation to the ministry of external affairs -- from Rs 12,620 crore in revised estimates in 2014-15 to Rs 14966.83 crore for 2015-16 -- the government has kept the emphasis on various development assistance projects implemented by India in neighbouring countries including Bhutan, Afghanistan and Myanmar.

As large part of the ministry's budget, nearly 61% or Rs. 9107 crore, has been allocated towards Technical and Economic Cooperation with other countries and advances to foreign government. It is up Rs 1,900 crore than revised budget estimates of 2014-15.

Seeing a modest increase of nearly 10%, up from the revised estimates of Rs 2.22 lakh crore for 2014-15 to Rs. 2.46 lakh crore for 2014-15, the budget for defence ministry emphasizes on the need to push Make in India initiative to bring down over-dependence on costly defence imports and generate employment.

"So far, we have been over dependent on imports, with its attendant unwelcome spin-offs," said finance minister Arun Jaitley, adding that government has already permitted FDI in defence sector.

This has been done so that the Indian-controlled entities also become manufacturers of defence equipments, not only for us, but for export, Jaitley said.

Elaborating on the steps taken to boost the defence sector, Jaitley said the government is working towards self-sufficiency through Make in India programme in defence equipment including aircraft and has been both transparent and quick in making defence equipment related purchase decisions.

The union home ministry too saw an increase of 10.2% from the revised estimates of Rs 56,372.45 crore for 2014-15 to Rs 62,124.52 crore in current fiscal beginning from tomorrow. Giving special emphasis to coastal security, the budget outlay sees a quantum jump of nearly 450% -- from Rs 150 crore in last fiscal to Rs 710 crore to upgrade mechanisms along country's vast sea coastline.

The budgets puts safety of women, rehabilitation of Kashmiri Pandits and internal security in focus.

Rs 580 crore has been allocated in the budget for relief and rehabilitation of Jammu and Kashmir migrants against Rs 342.50 crore allocated for the purpose in last fiscal.

Due to accepting 14th Finance Commission's to give larger share of union taxes to the states, the allocation for national scheme for modernisation of police and other forces now will be the responsibility of states. The budgetary allocation under home ministry outlay was Rs. 1433.20 crore in last fiscal.

World's largest paramilitary force CRPF, which takes care of for law and order problems and does counter insurgency operations, has been allocated Rs 14,089.38 crore. It was given Rs 12,866.12 crore in 2014-15.

Allocations for all the rest of the central armed police forces also saw modest increase of 8 to 11% in their annual budget plans.

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