The Economic Survey 2024-2025, tabled in Parliament on Friday by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, highlighted the rural initiatives, including housing, employment, and welfare benefits.
Outlined measures focusing on infrastructure, welfare, and connectivity in rural areas. "The Survey highlights that taking digitisation and technology to the rural economy has also been a key aspect of the rural development agenda, be it in agricultural activities or governance," said the finance ministry in a statement on the Economic Survey 2024-2025 report.
The ministry stressed the Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana-Gramin (PMAY-G), stating that the construction of 2.69 crore houses was completed since 2016 under the scheme. "PMAY-G generates direct employment of approximately 314 person-days, which includes 81 skilled, 71 semi-skilled, and 164 unskilled person-days," added the ministry.
The survey also outlines the efficiency reforms introduced to fully utilise the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme. "To ensure probity and elimination of leakages, geotagging before, during, and after the work is being done, 99.98 per cent of payments are through National Electronic Fund Management System, wages are transferred under DBT," stated the ministry.
Social services expenditure (SSE) rose to 26.2 per cent of the total expenditure for FY2025 (BE), from 23.3 per cent in FY2021, according to the finance ministry. The Economic Survey documents also highlighted that the "largest growth in average Monthly Per Capita Expenditure (MPCE) between FY 2022-2023 and FY 2023-2024 occurred among the bottom 5-10 per cent of the population in both rural and urban areas."
"In 2022-2023, 84 per cent of the population had access to a ration card, including 59% who reported holding a Below Poverty Line (BPL), Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) or Priority Household (PHH) card in their household," read the statement by the finance ministry.
