(FE)
Despite the apparent thrust being given to infrastructure spending, the finance ministry has rejected the road transport and highway ministry’s demand for hiking the budget outlay for it by Rs. 43,000 crore or 51% over the budget estimate.In the Budget for 2019-20, the ministry of road transport and highways (MoRTH) was allocated Rs. 83,016 crore for highway construction, up from Rs. 78,626 crore in 2018-19 and Rs. 61,015 crore in 2017-18. Of the total budgetary support for the current fiscal, MoRTH has already spent Rs. 51,798 crore or 62% by September end, as per the Controller General of Accounts data. Apart from the Budget outlay, the extra-budgetary funds, including domestic and overseas borrowings and some receipts by NHAI, are being used by the government. The extra-budget resources to be raised this year is around Rs. 75,000 crore.
