Budget 2014: Piyush Goyal defends modest budget allocations for govt schemes

NEW DELHI: Reacting sharply to Opposition criticism over inadequate allocation of funds for several social and infrastructure schemes, the NDA government clarified that more funds will be infused in its programmes as and when needed.

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley's maiden budget came in for a fair bit of criticism for allocating inadequate funds to several schemes which perhaps need higher financial support.

Jaitley's announcements to allocate Rs 100 crore each to as many as 29 schemes evoked considerable skepticism in the social media.

These schemes are meant to implement some of the capital and land-intensive projects such as the metro rail, riverside development works, virtual classrooms and soil health cards, among others. Responding to allegations over the NDA government's lack of vision, minister for power, coal and renewable energy Piyush Goyal said, "It's just the beginning, and at this juncture we aren't even sure how the need for funds will unfold.

The government will certainly infuse funds as we go along, and the fund allocations announced by the FM will be used for preparing the grounds for launching the same." The minister added that the next Union Budget is due in nine months, and schemes announced on Thursday may get additional funds