₹2.23 lakh crore for women-centric projects in Budget 2023: Smriti Irani

Women and Child development minister Smriti Irani has said that the union budget has made an allocation to the tune of ₹2,23,000 crore for women centric projects for 2023-24. She also mentioned that the gender specific budget that is happening across all the Panchayats is a silent revolution happening in the country.

During a conversation at the Fortune India Most Powerful Women in business awards, Irani said, “This year we have had an allocation of ₹2,23,000 crore across sixty departments only for projects dedicated to women’s needs. I am extremely happy that out of the 43 departments that were to report about the gender budgeting, I have received the report from 41 departments already. This means that there is a fiscal discipline with regards to gender justice which is now a permanent part of the governance at the Centre.

Irani also mentioned that the finance commission tying funds across Panchayats for women related issues is a silent revolution. “This tie up of funds on the basis of spends for gender is not limited to female-led Panchayats. It is now imperative for every Panchayat that a particular amount in the budget has to be spent on issues which the women deem fit. This has not happened in any other part of the world," she said.  

"Our governance system today does not centralise the expenditure for the agency of women only at the top. There is a fiscal hierarchy in the country wherein even the Panchayats in the country have developed the habit of gender spending, which is a huge achievement. It is a silent revolution,” Irani added.