14. expenditure boosts aggregate demand and it has both good and bad 14. expenditure boosts aggregate demand and it has both good and bad consequences. Wisdom lies in finding the correct level of government expenditure. In the budget for 2012-13, the estimate of Plan Expenditure was too ambitious and the estimate of non- Plan Expenditure was too conservative. Faced with a huge fiscal deficit, I had no choice but to rationalise expenditure. We took a dose of bitter medicine. It seems to be working. We also took some policy decisions that had been deferred for too long, corrected some prices, and undertook a review of certain tax policies. We have retrieved some economic space. As I outline our plans and priorities, Hon'ble Members will find that I have used that economic space to advantage - and to advance the UPA Government's socio -economic objectives.

II. THE PLAN AND BUDGETARY ALLOCATIONS The 12 Five Year Plan began in 2012-13. Anticipating a global and domestic recovery, 15. th The 12 Five Year Plan began in 2012-13. Anticipating a global and domestic recovery, 15. th total expenditure had been fixed at 14,90,925 crore. Due to the slowdown and the austerity ` measures, the revised estimate is 14,30,825 crore or 96 percent of the budget estimate. The ` economic space that we have gained has given me the confidence to be more ambitious in 2013- 14. I have been able to set the BE of total expenditure at 16,65,297 crore and of plan ` expenditure at 5,55,322 crore. Hon'ble Members will be happy to know that plan expenditure in ` 2013-14 will be 29.4 percent more than the revised estimate of the current year. All flagship programmes have been fully and adequately funded. I dare say I have provided sufficient funds to each Ministry or Department consistent with their capacity to spend the funds. Now, it is over to the Ministries and Departments to deliver the outcomes through good governance, prudent cash management, close monitoring and timely implementation. Madam Speaker, on the one side is economic policy. On the other side is economic 16. welfare. We are a developing country. The link between policy and welfare can be expressed in a few words: opportunities, education, skills, jobs and incomes. Every mother understands this. Every young man and woman understands this. My budget for 2013-14 has before it one overarching goal: to create opportunities for our youth to acquire education and skills that will get them decent jobs or self-employment that will bring them adequate incomes that will enable them to live with their families in a safe and secure environment.

SC, ST, Women and Children Let me assure Hon'ble Members that their concerns are my concerns too. I know their 17. Let me assure Hon'ble Members that their concerns are my concerns too. I know their 17. concern for the welfare and progress of the scheduled castes and the scheduled tribes for whom the Budget has sub plans. I also know their concern that adequate funds must be provided for programmes that benefit women, children and the minorities. I have tried to meet these concerns as fully as possible. I propose to allocate 41,561 crore to the scheduled caste sub plan and ` 24,598 crore to the tribal sub plan. The total represents an increase of 12.5 percent over the BE ` and 31 percent over the RE of the current year. I reiterate the rule that the funds allocated to the sub plans cannot be diverted and must be spent for the purposes of the sub plans. I have made sufficient allocations to programmes relating to women and children. 18. Hon'ble Members will find from the budget documents that the gender budget has 97,134 crore ` and the child budget has 77,236 crore in 2013-14. `