INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
3.18 lakh crore against last year's allocation of Rs 2.98 lakh crore, notwithstanding expectations of a major hike when China and Pakistan
year 2019-2020 to purchase new weapons, aircraft, warships and other military hardware
crore in defence budget is an increase of 6.87 per cent over revised estimate of Rs 2,98,418 crore for 2018-19
inadequate given the kind of modernisation our armed forces are envisaging," said Dr Laxman Behera of Institute of Defence Studies and
Behera said the defence budget is around 1.44 per cent of the GDP which, he called as "insufficient" considering the evolving security
situation in India's neighbourhood
Presenting the interim budget for 2019-20 in Parliament, Union Minister for Finance and Corporate Affairs Piyush Goyal said additional
crossing Rs 3,00,000 crore for the first time in 2019-20
pegged at Rs 2,10,682 crore as against Rs 1,88,118 crore for 2018-19
Experts said Goyal's budget was an interim budget and the allocation for defence forces may change when a full-fledged budget is presented
government's total capital expenditure of Rs 3,36,293 crore
It said the total defence allocation including for funds for pensions accounted for 15.48 per cent of the total central government
But later, the defence ministry put the total allocation at Rs 3,18,931 crore
Officials said the final amount of defence budget included funds set aside for Border Roads Organisation, Coast Guards and allocation made
for payment of salaries and allowances to civil staff of the defence ministry.In his budget speech, Goyal also referred to government's
efforts to strengthen defence and national security and said due care will be taken of the soldiers who protect India's borders in tough
announced it in three budgets but sanctioned a mere Rs 500 crore in 2014-15 interim budget
government also announced substantial hike in the Military Service Pay (MSP) of all service personnel and special allowances were given to
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