New Delhi, February 28: Even as Indian diplomacy has a rising global profile, the external affairs ministry has been allocated Rs.7,106 crore (Rs.71 billion/$ 1.5 billion) for fiscal 2011-12, which is only a marginal increase from the previous year.
The expenditure budget’s revised estimates for the ministry in 2010-11 was Rs.7,120 crore, but it has recorded a slight dip for 2011-12 at Rs.7,106 crore.
The major allocation of the expenditure is for technical and economic cooperation with foreign countries, amounting to about Rs.3,050 crore. The biggest share is kept for Bhutan at Rs.1,690 crore.
Under the Aid for Africa programme, there has been no reduction, with allocation remaining steady at Rs.150 crore.
-Agencies