This thread will summarise the key findings by @angrygall and @shreegireesh. It'll also explain how the govt escapes criticism despite underfunding one in every 5 schemes by over 50%!
We're also making the database we used for our reports public. Link at the end.
But first, a little note.
Analysing large volumes of budget data is a tedious task. The process, from gathering info to fact checking every number in our reports took a lot of time, effort and resources. We were able to do it only thanks to donations from readers. To support us click here.
Back to our findings.
Months ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, PM Modi launched a "historic" scheme for doubling farmers' incomes.
The scheme, known as PM Annadata Aay Sanrakshan Abhiyaan (PM AASHA), was brought in to help millions of farmers get minimum prices for crops.
The scheme made it to headlines with big numbers splashed across. The govt promised to spend Rs 15,053 crore on the scheme, they said.
The reality was far from this number.
We found that the govt spent money on the scheme only in months around lok sabha elections in 2019 and 2024. In the three years in between, it did not spend even a single rupee.
The same period saw a historic farmers' uprising with legally-mandated MSP as one of its demands.
Worse, this period regularly saw market prices fall below MSP for crops covered under the scheme.
Meaning, there was a real demand for the govt to step in and ensure farmers get fair prices. Yet, the govt on paper blamed a "lack of demand" to justify its poor spending.
You can read the story about how a scheme was reduced to an electoral tool here.
But PM AASHA isn't the only one indicative of Modi govt's billboard governance.
Nor is the problem restricted to solely to the Agriculture Ministry.
After coming to power in 2019, the Modi govt launched a pension scheme for small shopkeepers and traders, named Pradhan Mantri Karam Yogi Maan Dhan Yojana.
In 2019, the govt promised to spend Rs 750 crore on the scheme. But spent only Rs 155 crore.
By 2024, the govt's promised spending for the year came down to only Rs 3 crore. But its actual spending fell drastically to a measly Rs 10 Lakh!
This scheme failed miserably with only 50,000 people enrolling against a target of 3 crore -- a coverage of only 0.16%.
When a parliamentary committee pulled up the government for poor implementation, the govt officially said that the scheme is failing because people are "confusing" it with another pension scheme with an eerily similar name!
This scheme, called PM Shram Yogi Maan Dhan, was launched just four months before PM Karam Yogi Maan Dhan. It too targeted unorganised workers.
But this is where things get bizarre. PM Shram Yogi Maan Dhan is a failure too with only 1% coverage!
Guess whom the govt blamed now?
A third pension scheme!
Yup, the govt now said PM Shram Yogi Maan Dhan has failed because there already exists Atal Pension Yojana. This is another scheme targeting unorganised workers launched by Modi govt in 2015.
Atal Pension Yojana itself does not have a clean record.
@HemantGairola25, reporting for @reporters_co, has shown how banks artificially beefed up the scheme's numbers using illegal tactics.
As this pattern indicates, it's welfare schemes that suffered the most under Modi govt.
About 75% of all welfare schemes across the 906 were underfunded. These included schemes for agriculture, health, rural economy and, yes, pension schemes.
Even a scheme for offering fellowships to scheduled caste students saw cuts in funding. Fellowships offered also declined.
Amidst the Covid-19 pandemic, the govt promised to spend over Rs 9,000 crore in 5 years on health infrastructure. Of this, it spent only Rs 1,300 crore in 3 years.
Similarly, on a scheme for developing rural entrepreneurs, the govt has spent only 22% of its claim over 4 years.
Ministries across the board have been criticised by parliamentary committees over poor funding on schemes. In most cases, the govt has blamed "lack of demand" from citizens for its own failures. Parliament committees for their part have pointed out that the argument is meritless.
Despite this, the govt escapes all scrutiny.
A major reason for this is the way budgets are structured. On the budget day, the finance minister makes big claims on how much the govt will spend on schemes in the upcoming year. These numbers grab headlines the next day.
But how much the govt actually spent on the schemes is known only two whole years later.
By then, the news cycle has moved on.
This time, we @reporters_co decided not to do that. So we dug deep. The story and the database are both here.
As I said before, this took a lot of time and resources. From @nit_set's guidance and @anoophilip's editing to fact checks by @tapasya_umm and Saras Jaiswal.
The team could work together only because of donations by readers like you. To help us continue to do work like this, please donate to us.
