The figures relate to 53 major schemes, each with a budget estimate (BE) of ₹500 crore or more for 2025–26. These schemes are implemented by state governments and funded jointly by the Centre and states as per approved cost-sharing formulas.
Government spending lags on key schemes
New Delhi: Government spending on major welfare and infrastructure schemes has slowed significantly, with just over 40 percent of the allocated budget utilized in the first three quarters of the current financial year. Official data suggests that total expenditure on these schemes may remain below 75 percent even by the end of the year.
The figures relate to 53 major schemes, each with a budget estimate (BE) of ₹500 crore or more for 2025–26. These schemes are implemented by state governments and funded jointly by the Centre and states as per approved cost-sharing formulas.
Only three schemes-health infrastructure maintenance under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the Indira Gandhi National Widow Pension Scheme, and the Pre-Matric Scholarship for SCs and Others-reported revised estimates (RE) equal to their original budget estimates.
Another three schemes-MGNREGA, the Pre-Matric Scholarship for STs, and the National Mission on Natural Farming-saw revised estimates exceed their budgeted allocations.
PM Krishi Sinchai Yojana Sees Sharpest Cut
For the remaining 47 schemes, revised estimates were lower than the original allocations. The steepest reduction was recorded under the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana (PMKSY), where the revised estimate of ₹150 crore was barely one-sixth of the original budget of Rs850 crore.
Overall, the combined budget estimate for the 53 schemes stood at over Rs5 lakh crore, which was revised down to less than ₹3.8 lakh crore—about 74.4 percent of the original allocation.
Actual fund releases during the nine months ending December 31 amounted to just over Rs2 lakh crore, representing 41.2 percent of the budget estimate and 55.4 percent of the revised estimate.
Several Large Schemes Show Minimal Spending
In several flagship programmes-including PMKSY Command Area Development and Water Resources, PM e-Bus Seva, Dharti Aaba Tribal Village Upliftment Campaign, Jal Jeevan Mission/National Rural Drinking Water Mission, computerization of Primary Agricultural Credit Societies, and components of PMAY-Urban-the revised estimates are less than 40 percent of the original budget.
Alarmingly, six of these schemes recorded actual spending of less than 10 percent of their budgeted allocations. Among large schemes with budgets exceeding Rs2,000 crore, the Jal Jeevan Mission (BE Rs67,000 crore) saw expenditure of just Rs31 crore in nine months.
PM Schools for Rising India (BE Rs7,500 crore) spent Rs473 crore, while the Pradhan Mantri Scheduled Castes Abhyuday Yojana (BE Rs2,140 crore) recorded spending of only Rs40 crore.
