India increases the defence budget yet again
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NEW DELHI: An outlay of Rs 2.95 lakh crore was on Thursday set aside for the defence budget for the next fiscal which is an increase of 7.81 percent over last year's Rs 2.74 lakh crore.
Out of the total allocation, the capital outlay for the three defence services for the purchase of new weapons, aircraft, warships and other military hardware has been pegged at Rs 99,947 crore.
The outlay for defence budget amounted to 12.10 percent of the total budget of Rs 24,42,213 crore for 2018-19.
Compared to the revised estimate of Rs 2.79 lakh crore for the defence budget in 2017-18, the increase in allocation has been 5.91 percent but compared to the budget outlay of Rs 2.74 lakh crore, the hike is 7.81 percent.
Out of Rs 2,95,511 crore allocated for the financial year 2018-19, Rs 99,947 crore has been pegged for capital outlay which includes expenditure on modernisation of the three forces, according to the defence ministry.
The revenue expenditure, which covers payment of salary, maintenance of establishments and other related expenditure, has been pegged at Rs 1,95,947 crore.
A separate amount of Rs 1,08,853 crore has been set aside over the above the total allocation for the paying pension to defence personnel. The amount for defence pension is an increase of 26.60 percent over the allocation of Rs 85,740 crore last year.
In his budget speech, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley appreciated the role played by the armed forces in meeting challenges on the country's borders as well as in managing the internal security environment, both in Jammu and Kashmir and the Northeast.
He said the government will develop two defence industrial production corridors and bring out an industry-friendly military production policy to promote the domestic defence industry.