Budget for Children in Andhra Pradesh 2001-02 to-2005-06

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Budget for ChildrenBudget for Children
in
Andhra PradeshAndhra Pradesh

3
Budget for ChildrenBudget for Children
in
Andhra PradeshAndhra Pradesh

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Printed and Published in 2007
© HAQ: Centre For Child Rights
Permission to reproduce any part of this document is required from:
HAQ: Centre for Child Rights
208 Shahpur Jat
New Delhi 110049
Telephone: 91-11-26490136
Telefax: 91-11-26492551
www.haqcrc.org
or
M.V Foundation
201 Narayan Apartments,
West Maradpally,
Secundrabad- 500026 AP
Telephone: 91-40-27801320
Tele/Fax: 91-40-27808808
www.mvfindia.in
Credits
Research Team
At HAQ | Enakshi Ganguly Thukral
Bharti Ali
Madhumita Purkayastha
Abhijeet Nirmal
At M.V Foundation | Shantha Sinha (PhD)
Dolon Bhattacharya
Photo Credit | Cover Vasant Dave / sxc.hu
Cover Rear Hagit / sxc.hu
Inside MV Foundation
Design and Typesetting | Aspire Design
Supported by | Ford Foundation

1
Over the last decade, countries across the world have embarked on
changing existing economic models in favour of ones driven by the
free market, incorporating processes of liberalisation, privatisation
and globalisation.While the markets boom, and some become richer,
at the other end of the spectrum is growing disparities between the
rich and the poor, depletion of natural resources and loss of traditional
livelihoods, forced migration, consumerism and violence. It has also
meant privatisation of services, cutbacks in some services lending them
inaccessible to the poor. India too has witnessed these changes.
Recognising that budgets are an important tool for monitoring the
government’s implementation of child rights, HAQ undertook a decadal
analysis of the Union Budget from a child rights perspective, which was
published in 2002.This was the first endeavour of its kind in the country
and it helped in understanding the process of budgeting and establishing
the need for such analysis along with developing a methodology for the
same.
foreword

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Enakshi GangulyThukral BhartiAli Shantha Sinha
HAQ: Centre For Child Rights HAQ: Centre For Child Rights M.V.Foundation
Child budget work has come a long way since then. Sustained advocacy and lobbying with the
Government of India has successfully led to institutionalisation of undertaking child budget
analysis.The Ministry ofWomen and Child Development has now decided to undertake regular
child budget analysis as an important mandate.The first such endeavour by the Government of
India was in 2002-03, which, as mentioned in the Annual Report of the Department ofWomen
and Child Development for 2002-03 and 2004-05, was based on HAQ’s work. Currently, this
analysis is being carried out for the Ministry by UNICEF through the Centre for Budget and
Governance Accountability (CBGA).The need for budgeting for children has also found a place
in the National Plan of Action for Children, 2005.TheWorld Bank too has drawn on HAQ’s
methodologyzfor their paper on public spending on the child, which was published in aWorld
bank report —‘Reaching out to the child:An Integrated Approach to Child Development’, in
September 2004 in a chapter,“Underwriting the Child’s Development: Public Spending on the
Child”.
While, an analysis of the Union Budget is important for an understanding of financial commitment to children at the national level,
it is not enough. Since a large share of the allocation and expenditure is made in the states, a study of the state budgets also becomes
necessary to enable a holistic understanding. If child budgeting at the state level is to become a reality, it is important to empower local
NGOs to undertake such initiatives, develop a common methodology and provide requisite technical assistance. Once the ground is
set, using the findings effectively for advocacy at the state, district and local levels of governance is a natural process, especially if such
analysis is carried out by an agency/organisation based in the state. HAQ began child budget analysis work in three states in 2002 in
partnership with state level NGOs - Andhra Pradesh (with M.V. Foundation), Orissa (with Open Learning Systems) and Himachal
Pradesh (with Himachal PradeshVoluntary Health Association).
This is a report of the findings from Andhra Pradesh.The research team, both at M.V. Foundation (MVF) as well as at HAQ, has seen
many changes, during the period of this study.This report owes a lot to all their contributions.This final report has been written by
Dolon Bhattacharyya and Shantha Sinha of the MVF, with technical inputs and support from HAQ.
Budget analysis will only continue to be numbers unless it is used for effective advocacy. Our experience has shown that child budgets
can be an effective monitoring and advocacy tool.While advocacy and lobbying with the Government of India has institutionalised child
budgeting at the national level, HAQ’s partner organizations, as well as other human rights networks and campaigns have also used it
for advocacy. For example, HAQ’s child budget analysis has been used to file legal petitions, for strengthening arguments of various
campaigns such as the Right to Food campaign, for raising questions in the Parliament and debating on various pending bills, including
the 93rd Constitutional Amendment.At the international level, findings from child budget analysis work have been used to make
submissions and prepare shadow reports to the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child.
At the grassroots level, MVF has been using budget information extensively for advocacy with elected representatives. Sharing
information on child budget analysis with the gram sabha helps build pressure on the sarpanch, who in turn is able to use the
information to negotiate with Block and District Officials for better grants. Providing budget related information to the Child
Protection Forum formed by MVF in the villages, enables the members to monitor allocation and spending at the local level and
question the officials when needed.
This study would not have been possible without the support of Ford Foundation and UNDP.We would particularly want to thank Dr.
Mark Robinson (the then Programme Officer at the Foundation) and Dr. Neera Burra, now Consultant UNDP, who believed in our
ideas, and in us when no one else did.
Nishant and Bitto of Aspire Designs have always taken on the challenge of producing HAQ’s publications at short notice and multiple
changes.This has been no different.We owe our thanks to Preeti Gill for copy-editing the report. Most importantly, it is the children of
this country we have to thank. It is because of their inherent resilience in the face of any adversity, and the joy they bring to us that we
do not lose hope and heart.
Budget for children is
not a separate budget.
It is merely an attempt
to disaggregate from
the overall budget
the allocations made
specifically for programmes
that benefit children.

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During the past 15 years or so, several countries across the
world – including India – have introduced and made major
changes in the way their economies function.The earlier economic
models have given way to market forces and its attendant processes
of liberalization, privatization and globalization. Over the years,
this process – which continues – has seen a boom in markets,
mega-mergers of huge companies, the accumulation of wealth,
and the growth of information technology.
While some people have undeniably become richer, the fact is
that disparities between the rich and the poor – particularly in
countries hitherto considered under-developed – have widened.
Natural resources continue to be depleted at an unsustainable rate,
many people across the globe have lost their traditional livelihood,
and larger numbers of people are forced to migrate for economic
survival. Both consumerism and violence have increased during
this period.Alongside all this – in India for example – the ongoing
privatization of services has worsened the situation for the
economically disadvantaged.
It was in this context and with the aim of providing a voice to the
most vulnerable section of the human population – children – that
HAQ began its work on a decadal analysis of the Union Budget
in India in 2000, through a child rights perspective. Published
in 2002, and being the first endeavour of its kind in the country,
HAQ’s work on the Budget for Children (BfC) established the
need for such analysis and set the initial direction for developing a
methodology to do this more effectively.
Children and the Budget
for Children (BfC)
chapter one

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Post its decadal analysis, the HAQ team realized that while it
is important to monitor and understand the Union Budget and
the financial commitment of the government towards children
at the national level, in itself this was not enough.An analysis
of BfC at the level of the states was critical for in-depth and
on-the-ground understanding which could, possibly open
up the possibilities of responding to children’s needs more
effectively.To do this, it was important to build partnerships
with local NGOs, to develop a common methodology and
to provide the requisite technical assistance. It was envisaged
that if such analysis could be carried out by a state-based
organization, it would become possible to use the findings of
the study for effective advocacy at the state, district and local
levels of governance.
In partnership with NGOs in three states therefore, HAQ
started on the state-level analysis of BfC in 2002.The partners
were M V Foundation in Andhra Pradesh, Open Learning
Systems in Orissa,and the Himachal PradeshVoluntary Health
Association in HP.This report is an outcome of the analysis of
BfC in each of these three states as well as the Union Budget.
To prevent the analysis and monitoring of BfC from turning
into yet another number game, it is crucial to use it for
advocacy at several levels. Since the publication of HAQ’s
2002 decadal analysis for instance, work related to BfC has
indeed, come a long way. Having decided to take up BfC
analysis as an important mandate, the Ministry ofWomen and
Child Development has acknowledged that its efforts are based on HAQ’s initial work. Currently, UNICEF and the Centre for
Budget and Governance Accountability are engaged in BfC analysis for the Ministry ofWCD.
In September 2004, theWorld Bank report titled‘Reaching out to the Child:An IntegratedApproach to Child Development’
included a chapter on public spending related to the child, which drew upon HAQ’s methodology.
While advocacy and lobbying with GoI has institutionalized BfC analysis at the national level, HAQ’s work has been used by
its partner organizations in the states as well as by other human rights networks and campaigns.At the grassroots level, MVF’s
Telegu translation of
HAQ’s report –‘What does Budget 2005-06 have for children?’– was used effectively for advocacy with elected representatives
in AP.At the national level, HAQ’s BfC documents have been used in filing legal petitions, for strengthening the work of the
Right to Food campaign,for raising questions in Parliament and debating on pending bills such as that of the 93rd Constitutional
Amendment.
And at the international level, findings from HAQ’s BfC work have been used to make submissions to, and prepare shadow
reports for the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child.
It is scarcely possible to realize the rights of children unless the Government of India genuinely endeavours and works
towards its commitments and stated intentions on CRC, whether through legal reform and enforcement, and programme
development.At the same time, it is clear that all changes brought in through law and policy can be worthwhile only when
these are implemented in everyday situations, and when there is adequate provision of financial and human resources.
BOX 1.1
There are more than enough reasons to show us why bud-
geting for children deserves priority attention in India:
• Nineteen per cent of world’s children live in India. They
make up 42 per cent of the country’s total population. By
way of international comparisons in terms of the status
and condition of children, India continues to rank poorly
on several key counts. Large numbers of Indian children
still suffer from poor nutrition, inadequate health ser-
vices, clean water, sanitation and basic education.
• Children are voiceless and are at a particularly vulnerable
stage of life. They do not form a powerful political lobby,
and cannot advocate for themselves for more effective
delivery of socio-economic services that meet their needs.
Thus, the lack of a detailed assessment of how much the
government is spending on children inhibits the effective
improvement of the basic living standards of children.
• Budgetary programmes, particularly socio-economic
expenditure, affect the well-being of children directly.
• The well-being of any society depends on the investment
in its human resource development, particularly the
development of children and youth.
• India ratiﬁed the United Nations’ Convention on the
Rights of the Child in 1992; thus, it has promised to place
Children’s Rights at the forefront of development. The
country is committed to give greater priority to children’s
concerns than what was being given before this ratiﬁca-
tion.

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It is only when the political will of the country’s government
conjoins with its stated commitments that an analysis of the
budget for children and its monitoring can become“a powerful
tool”i
that can catalyse it into “taking actions to improve its
measures”.
Currently, in India, both national and international documents
serve as significant instruments to set the direction for a
realization of children’s rights through budget analysis.
The Government of India’s National Plan of Action for
Children 2005, for instance, specifically includes a section on
budgeting for children. It states,“Ministries and Departments
with specific child budgets and plans should ensure 100 per
cent spending and should also enhance the budget in view of
the large child population. Where no overt child budget is
available, the demarcation should be made of child budget,
spending and monitoring…”ii
In ratifying the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child
(UNCRC), the country has committed itself to allocating
“maximum available resources” towards this end. Quite
obviously then, the responsibility of ensuring that adequate
resources are made available, rests with GoI.
In its concluding observations of 2004, pertaining to India,
the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child stated, “While
noting the efforts undertaken to increase the budget allocation
for some social services, the Committee is concerned at the
slow increase of the budget allocations for education and at
the stagnation or even the decrease of expenses allocated to
other social services. The Committee recommends that the
State party: (a) Make every effort to increase the proportion
of the budget allocated to the realization of children’s rights
to the “maximum extent … of available resources” and,
in this context, to ensure the provision, including through
international cooperation, of appropriate human resources and to guarantee that the implementation of policies relating to
social services provided to children remain a priority; and (b) Develop ways to assess the impact of budgetary allocations on
the implementation of children’s rights, and to collect and disseminate information in this regard.”
BfC analysis
and its markers
The analysis of BfC in India – both at the level of the Union and a particular Indian state – entails a rather complex exercise at
disaggregating from various heads of account in the overall union or state budget to arrive at a comprehensive understanding
of how financial allocation is impacting the lives of children. Both the methodology and the analysis need to be refined and
BOX 1.2
WHY BUDGET ANALYSIS?
The budget is the most important economic instrument of
the government. It reflects the countries socio-economic
priorities by translating policies and political commitments
into expenditures and taxations. In this way the budget
emphasises constraints and trade-offs in policy choices
The Budget: A Tool for Change ~ IDASA budget information service 1998
“The process of preparing and overseeing budgets opens
the door to a number of important processes, and can
become an integral part of a human rights-based approach
to programming. It demands an important capacity-build-
ing component, especially for civil society groups, local
governments, and private and public agencies addressing
issues of child rights. Advocacy around budgets calls for
the empowerment of rights-holders to demand that duty-
bearers—in both the legislative and executive branches of
government—allocate the funding necessary to implement
social policies. Too frequently, the announcement of grand
social policies is not followed by the allocation of sufficient
resources to put them into practice. Once ordinary citizens
understand the impact of the budgetary process on their
day-to-day lives and learn the points at which they can
intervene and how to do so, they are in a far better position
to hold governments accountable to the realisation of child
rights.”
From … UNICEF Brazil Budget Paper ~ Alison Raphael 2002
Sharing information on BfC analysis with the gram sabha
helps to build pressure on the sarpanch, who in turn, is
able to use the information to negotiate with Block and
District Officials for better grants. Now, the officials get
worried when they see our Child Protection Forum mem-
bers because they know that they can no longer be fooled.
The panchayat members carry the BfC information in their
pocket when they go for discussions.
M V Foundations’s experience in using BfC analysis

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revised continuously in order to meet the challenges of the year-on-year changes and the possibilities that arise, of responding
more effectively to the needs of children.
However, there are various markers – in terms of questions, reference points and perspective – that are fundamental to any
serious analysis of BfC in India.These are:
✦ National and International commitments made for children, particularly constitutional guarantees and their
implementation
✦ The overall policy framework in the country and how the whole or its parts impact the lives of children
✦ The ways and the extent to which policies are translated into programmes and activities for realizing children’s rights
✦ The extent of the country’s dependence on external aid for the realization of the rights of children
✦ Is financial planning and allocation moving in accordance with the needs and rights of children?
✦ Is a conscious effort being made to link allocation and expenditure for children with the stated commitments of the
government? And is there an effort to address the existing gaps in a planned, coordinated way?
When all of these factors are taken into consideration, it becomes possible to move into more detailed and comprehensive
analysis of BfC. For instance, specific sector and programmatic patterns of expenditure can be observed and analysed with
a view to assess the impact on certain groups of children. Such assessment could yield key understanding related to the age,
gender or ability of various groups of children across the country.
BfC analysis –
past, present and future
When HAQ began its work on analysing the Union Budget in the year 2000, several organizations were already involved in
analysing state level budgets with respect to the needs of dalits, tribals or rural development.The focus on children however,
was missing.
With initial training inputs from HAQ, the Indian Council for Child Welfare, Tamil Nadu also began a state level analysis
of the budget for children in the year 2000.Their report, titled ‘Children ofTamil Nadu and the State Budget, An Analysis:
1998-2003’ was published in 2003.
And in 2005, the Ministry ofWomen and Child Development announced its intention to undertake an analysis of the budget
for children on a regular basis, in the centre as well as the states, in partnership with UNICEF and the Centre for Budget and
Governance Accountability.The first report of this partnership was released recently.
While these developments augur well for bringing the agenda of the needs and rights of children to centre-stage, the fact
remains that the work of analysing and monitoring the budget for children is still at a nascent stage.As the number of actors
and stake-holders in BfC analysis increases, it is imperative that due consideration is given to arrive at a minimum common
understanding and methodology, to serve the needs of children more effectively.
HAQ’s experience in working with local partners for this document (in Orissa,Andhra Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh), and
for its current work with partners in Uttar Pradesh, Assam, Uttarakhand and Jharkhand, has brought up several significant
learnings with respect to BfC analysis.These are:
✦ While working with partners in the states, special emphasis needs to be placed on a common methodology, a common
definition of the child, agreed upon parameters for sectoral analysis, and the selection of schemes and programmes.

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✦ Although the overall budgeting process is the same in all the states, certain peculiarities are seen in terms of heads of
account and the departments responsible for allocation. The differences need to be understood thoroughly and the
methodology therefore customized for data collection and entry.
✦ The choice of a particular partner in the state (an NGO for instance) is crucial, keeping the interest and the capacity
of the NGO staff to undertake and persist with the required research. After the initial enthusiasm has worn off, the
laborious task of number-crunching often becomes difficult for NGOs to commit themselves to. It was because of this
that HAQ had to undertake the final data entry and analysis for both Orissa and HP, which resulted in delaying the
completion of this document.
✦ For long-term changes to occur in policy, allocation and expenditure, BfC cannot be a one-off effort; it must be
integrated into the regular, ongoing work of the organization.
BfC analysis
and advocacy
Since the primary purpose of BfC analysis is to raise the bar in the process of realizing the rights of children in India by holding
the government accountable to its stated intentions and commitments, perhaps the most important recent occurrence is the
acceptance of BfC work by GoI, and its regular inclusion in the government’s own child-related planning.
There are many ways in which BfC analysis can be used for advocacy in the current Indian context. Since 2002, HAQ’s reports
have been used by and for the following:
✦ Bharat JanVigyan Jatha (a network focusing on education), the Forum for Crèche and Child Care Services, and the India
Alliance For Child Rights used data from the HAQ study to file a petition with the National Commission forWomen on
the status of the girl child in India.Along with HAQ, all of the three groups also filed another petition with the National
Human Rights Commission on the Right to Education for all children, including those in the 0-6 age group. HAQ’s
findings on the budget for children were used as supporting evidence.
✦ HAQ’s partner-NGOs in the states are using the reports for advocacy with their elected representatives. The M V
Foundation in Andhra Pradesh, which translated HAQ’s report intoTelugu is one example. In HP, the HPVHA printed
the HAQ report and organised an event attended by MLAs, journalists and NGO representatives.
✦ The inclusion of HAQ’s BfC analysis information in the Shadow Report given to the Committee on the Rights of the
Child led to a specific recommendation in the Committee’s concluding observations, 2005.This recommendation was
also used by NGOs to provide inputs into GoI’s Draft National Plan ofAction for Children, and the election manifestoes
of political parties.
Over the years, HAQ has learned that BfC analysis can be turned into a more effective advocacy tool when it is combined
with other initiatives.Towards this end, HAQ produced a situational analysis of children in the country, titled ‘Children in
Globalising India: Challenging Our Conscience’ in 2002.This was followed up with another status report in 2005.
If the laws, policies and budget-related priorities are to change in India in favour of children’s rights, it is our legislators and
parliamentarians who need to be influenced, and who require a greater understanding of what the country’s children need.
The question is: Are the MLAs and MPs in the country child-friendly enough? Who, among these, can we advocate to and
work with?
HAQ’s intervention in this direction is the annual exercise of analysing parliamentary questions and debates,and the production
of a document titled,‘Says a Child…Who Speaks for My Rights?’While the more perceptive and enterprising among our MPs
can use this document for critical self-reflection and performance, child-rights activists can use it for better advocacy.

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Core Reflection: More Tears than Smiles
• India’s children live in a country that has the tenth highest GDP in the world but stands 127th in terms of the human
development index; in the Global Hunger Index, India stands at number 117 out of 119 countries.
• Only 35 per cent births in India are registered, impacting name and nationality issues.
• One out of 16 children die before they attain one year of age, and one out of 11 die before they attain five years of
age.
• Two and-a-half million children die in India every year, accounting for one in five deaths in the world, with girls being
fifty per cent more likely to die.
• According to a report of the state of India’s newborns, the health challenge faced by the newborn child in India is
bigger than that experienced by a newborn in any other country.
• Thirty-five per cent of the developing world’s low birth-weight babies are born in India.
• According to the Global Hunger Index, 47.5 per cent children are under-weight in India, making it worse than the
situation in conflict-plagued and drought-stricken Sub-Saharan Africa.
• The reducing number of girls in the 0-6 age group causes alarm. For every 1000 boys there are only 927 females –
even lesser in several parts of the country.
• Of every 100 children, 19 continue to be out of school. Of those who enrol, almost 53 per cent drop out before
reaching Class VIII.
• Of every 100 children who are enrolled, 70 drop out by the time they reach secondary level.
• Of every 100 children who drop out of school, 66 are girls.
• Despite the promise of education for all, 46 per cent of the children from scheduled tribes and 38 per cent from
scheduled castes continue to be out of school, as against 34 per cent in the case of others.
• One in every 10 children is born with, or acquires some physical, sensory or mental impairment by the first year of
life. Based on this estimate, the world population of disabled children is about 140 million, of which 25 million are in
India.
• According to the 2001 Census Report, amongst all persons living with disability, 35.9 per cent (46,38,26,702) are
children and young adults in the 0-19 age group. Three out of five children in the age group of 0-9 years have been
reported to be visually impaired. Movement disability has the highest proportion (33.2 per cent) in the age group of
10-19. This is largely true of mental disability also.
• India has the second highest national total of people living with HIV/AIDS after the Republic of South Africa.
According to NACO, there were an estimated 0.55 lakh HIV-positive 0-14 year old children in India, in 2003.
• Sixty-five per cent of girls in India are married by the age of 18 and become mothers soon after.
• India is home to the highest number of child labourers in the world.
• According to the National Crime Records Bureau, crimes against children have increased by an average of 12.97 per
cent during the period 2002-2005.
• India has the world’s largest number of sexually-abused children: a child below 16 years is raped every 155th minute,
a child below 10 every 13th hour, and one in every 10 children is sexually abused at any point in time.
• Most subtle forms of violence against children such as child marriage, economic exploitation, practices like the
‘Devadasi’ tradition (dedicating young girls to gods and goddesses), and genital mutilation in some parts of the
country, are justified on grounds of culture and tradition.
• Physical and psychological punishment is rampant in the name of disciplining children, and is culturally accepted.
• Forced evictions, displacement due to development projects, war and conflict, communal riots, natural disasters –
all of these take their own toll on children in India.

9
Rationale for the
study of the Budget
for Children (BfC) in
Andhra Pradesh
HAQ began its work in the year, with the overall aim and
purpose of working for the benefit of children both at the
national and international levels.The UN Convention on the
Rights of the Child, 1989 and the subsequent ratification of
it by the Government of India in 1992 forms a basic point of
departure in HAQ’s work.
A systematic monitoring and analysis of the budget for
children in India was first undertaken by HAQ in the year
The basic idea behind this laborious, number-crunching task
was (and is) to draw adequate attention to the needs of the
country’s children, to examine the government’s financial
commitment and the utilization of resources for children,and
finally, to hold the government accountable towards the well-
being of its young citizens.
Budget for
Children
in Andhra
Pradesh

10
The annual budget is a concrete expression of the government’s intention, its policies and priorities, its decisions and
performance.At the national level or at the state level, the budget is essentially a political rather than a technical instrument.
Then, as now, there was no separate part of the Union Budget (or a particular state budget) categorized or specifically marked
for children in India. However, focusing on the financial resources earmarked for the benefit of children – by disaggregating
the budget – serves the purpose that HAQ set out to fulfill, even though there is scope for refinement.
Up until now, the term in use – both nationally and internationally – for such analysis was Child Budget or Children’s Budget.
From this point onwards however, the more appropriate term ‘Budget for Children’ (BfC) will be used by HAQ.While the
meaning of the earlier description could be taken to suggest the participation of children – which is not the case at all – the
term now chosen does away with this unintended suggestion.
The Child, in BfC
In accordance with the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, and in consonance with the definition of a child in the
Juvenile Justice Act 2000 of India, the child in this study is an individual up to the age of 18 years.
Although several Indian laws, programmes and schemes – at the national or state level – address the needs of children up to
the age of 14, this study includes all programmes related to children up to the age of 18.
Time-frame of the study
A five-year period,from 2001-02 to 2005-06,has been taken into consideration for this study.SinceActual Expenditure figures
are made public after two years,AE analysis in this study is restricted to a period of three years, that is, up to 2003-04.
Sectors, Schemes and Programmes, and
Departments
Survival, development, protection and participation are the four basic rights of children, according to CRC. While schemes
and programmes directly related to the right of participation do not yet form a part of GoI’s budgetary exercise (or that of any
Indian state), there are several social sector schemes and programmes that can be categorized within the broad ambit of the
rights to survival, development and protection.
In keeping with the way in which schemes and programmes related to children are planned and implemented at the national
and state level in India, this study addresses its concerns through the identification of four sectors – development, education,
health and protection – in the analysis of the Budget for Children. Put together, these four sectors are directly linked to the
rights of survival, development and protection of CRC.
In the study of the Budget for Children inAndhra Pradesh, the programmes and schemes of the following departments of the
state government have been covered.

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Development Includes programmes and schemes for early childhood care and education
Women’s Development, ChildWelfare and DisabledWelfare Department
Health Includes programmes and schemes related to the health care needs of children
Health,MedicalandFamilyWelfareDepartment;MunicipalAdministrationandUrbanDevelopment
Department;Women’s Development, ChildWelfare and DisabledWelfare Department; Food, Civil
Supplies and Consumer Affairs Department
Education Includes elementary and secondary education programmes
Education Department;Health,Medical and FamilyWelfare Department;MunicipalAdministration
and Urban Development Department; Social Welfare Department; Tribal Welfare Department;
Backward Classes Welfare Department; Women’s Development, Child Welfare and Disabled
Welfare Department; Panchayati Raj and Rural Development Department; Food, Civil Supplies
and Consumer Affairs Department
Protection Includes programmes and schemes aimed at child labourers; children in need of adoption; child
sex-workers; physically or mentally challenged children; homeless or street children; neglected
children or those who are treated as juvenile offenders
Women’s Development, Child Welfare and Disabled Welfare Department; Social Welfare
Department
Data: Sources, Access and Analysis
For the BfC study in AP, data has been sourced from the following documents of the state government or of the national
government, as the case may be.
✦ Detailed Demand for Grants
✦ Annual Financial Statements of the Government of AP
✦ Budget at a Glance
✦ Annual Plans and Five-Year Plans of the Government of AP
✦ Annual Economic Surveys of the Government of AP
✦ Annual Reports of the District Primary Education Programme (DPEP)
✦ Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) reports
✦ StatisticalAbstracts ofAP
The required data was not necessarily accessible during the time frame allotted to data collection.
As in the case of data collection for the Union Budget, it was not always possible to separate or disaggregate the financial
resources meant specifically for children from the programmes addressing both women and children. In such cases, the entire
amount for the programme has been taken into consideration. Similarly, there are schemes that do not specify the exact age
group of the beneficiaries, particularly those meant for youth, which include individuals above 18 years of age. In such cases
too, we have included the total amount allocated to the scheme even though only a part of it is meant for the 0 to 18 years
age group.

12
The data accessed has been analysed and compared in terms of allocation and expenditure – in absolute numbers, percentage
and sectoral representation wherever relevant to the points raised.
For reasons of consistency, financial data has been taken only from the Detailed Demand for Grants of the government of
Andhra Pradesh, presented in the Legislative Assembly. It is possible that the data for certain schemes and programmes used
in this study may differ in other government documents such as the Performance Budget, the Annual Report or Note on
Demand.
The increase or decrease in estimates and expenditure from one year to another year has been computed in order to show the
shift in emphasis of the state government on particular sectors, schemes and programmes.
Limitations of the Study
In theAP state financial documents,schemes or programmes that should be clearly included within the‘elementary education’
accounts are sometimes found included under ‘secondary education’ or vice versa. For example, a programme titled
‘Improvement of Science Education and Supply of Science Kits to Upper Primary schools’ is listed under the major head of
account of ‘elementary education‘ in the Detailed Demand for Grants. But documents related to the same programme have
been found under the head of ‘secondary education’ as in the Performance Budget and Note on Demand, School Education
Department.
Similarly, the‘EducationalTechnology Programme’ is listed under‘elementary education’ in the Detailed Demand for Grants
but its related documents are found under the head of ‘secondary education’. For this study, we have taken the schemes as
mentioned in the Demand for Grants.
Children and the Andhra Pradesh Budget
2001-02 to 2005-06
The objective of this study is to focus on the financial priorities of the state government of Andhra Pradesh with regard to
children,and to analyse and understand the extent to which policy-makers accord significance to the lives of children and their
future. In keeping with the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, a key question that motivates this study is: Have the
promises made by the government been translated into policies and programmes that protect children’s rights?
For more than a decade now, the state ofAndhra Pradesh has been projecting and building its profile as the knowledge centre
of India. It has made considerable progress in the software industry, in bio-technology, and in high-tech manufacture. In this
context and within the framework of democracy, it is critical for the state government to focus its attention on bridging
disparities between the rich and the poor. It is necessary that development in the state is based on the inclusive principles of
equity and justice.And within these principles,the entitlement of children – to development,education,health and protection
– is crucial.The long-term development ofAndhra Pradesh is directly dependent on the space provided for the state’s children
to live with their rights.
In terms of human development indicators, the position of Andhra Pradesh has improved since 1991, but the state’s value –
0.416 per cent – in the National Human Development Index is still below the national value of 0.472 per centiii
. In keeping
with the objective of this study therefore, it is important to look atAP’s key socio-economic indicators in the national context,
and in particular, at the overall status of children in the state.

13
Table 1.1 | KEY INDICATORS
Socio-Economic Indicators Andhra Pradesh India Comparison AP’s status in
Indian index
Literacy Rates* 61.11 65.49 90.92 (Kerala) 28
Gender disparity in Literacy rate 19.89 21.59 3.97 18
(Difference between female and (Mizoram,
male literacy rate, in per cent point) least disparity)
Sex Ratio (Females per 1000 Males) 978 933 1058 19
(Kerala)
Population below Poverty Line 15.77 per cent 26.1 per cent 3.48 per cent 21
(1999-2000)** (J&K)
Infant Mortality Rate, 2001* 66 70 14 8
(Probability of dying before completing (Kerala)
exactly one year of age; per 1,000 live births.)
Child Mortality Rate, 2000*** 15.9 19.5 3.3 12
(Probability of dying between 1-6 years (Kerala)
of age: per 1,000 live births.)
Crude Birth Rate, 2002*** 20.7 25.0 31.6 11
(Annual number of births per 1,000 population) (UP)
Crude Death Rate, 2002 8.1 8.1 3.4 28
(Annual number of deaths per 1,000 population) (Chandigarh)
Total Fertility Rate, 2001 2.4 3.2 4.6 20
(No. of children that would be born per (UP)
woman if she were to live to the end of her
child bearing years and bears children at each
age in accordance with prevailing age-specific
fertility rate.)
Maternal Mortality Rate, 1997**** 154 408 29 12
(Annual number of deaths of women from (Gujarat) (out of 15 states)
pregnancy related causes; per 100,000 live births.)
Life Expectancy at Birth, 1996-2001¤
63.7 63.4 75 8
(The no. of years newborn children would (Kerala) (out of 15 states)
live if subject to the mortality risks prevailing for
the cross-section of population at the time of
their birth.)
Source: * National Commission on Population, Govt. of India www.http://populationcommission.nic.in/cont-ent1.htm
** Planning Commission, New Delhi http://agricoop.nic.in/Statatglance2004/EcoIndicator.pdf
*** SRS Bulletin, April 1999, Volume 33 No.1, http://www.censusindia.net/vs/srs/bulletins/Bulletin1999Vol33No1.pdf
¤ Projected, Derived from Registrar General (1996), cited in Kurian (1998) http://www.undp.org.in/REPORT/IDF98/idfthlth.htm
# Report-Strategies To Address Unmet Needs For Drinking Water Supply And Sanitation, National Commission on Population (GOI),
http://populationcommission.nic.in/unmet-water1.htm#6

14
The national and international commitments made by GoI to improve the lives of children according to the goals set, are
of course applicable to Andhra Pradesh as much as to any other state in the country. In addition to these national goals
however, the state of AP has made several specific commitments towards a better life for children.The following acts and
vision documents are significant:
✦ AP Borstal SchoolAct,1925:This act provides for the establishment and regulation of Borstal schools,where juvenile
offenders between 16-21 years of age are detained.The act continues to be operational today.
✦ AP Prevention of Begging Act, 1977:According to this act, when a beggar is “declared” as a child by a court of law,
“he/she will be dealt with according to the Juvenile Justice Act(JJ Act)”.
✦ AP Education Act, 1982: Section 7 of this act says, the government “shall endeavour to provide free and compulsory
education for all children until they complete the age of 14 years.”
✦ AP Shops and Establishment Act, 1988: “No child below 14 years shall be employed to work in any commercial
establishment.No young person in the age group of 14-18 years of age should work more than 7 hours a day,or between
7 pm to 6 am,” says Section 20 of this act.
✦ Andhra Pradesh: Vision 2020: Released in 2003, the aim of this vision statement was and is to build a political
consensus on a broad development strategy encompassing the roles and responsibilities of different agents. These
agents include the government, the private sector, the small scale sector, people’s organisations and others.Within this
document, the goals related to children are1
:
✦ Reduction of IMR to 10 per 1000 (live births) by 2020
✦ Reduction of CMR to 20 per 1000 by 2020
✦ Achieving 100 per cent usage of Oral RehydrationTherapy to prevent death among children (under-5 years) from
diarrhoeal dehydration
✦ Reduction of death due to Acute Respiratory Infection (under-5 years) age; and reduction of vaccine preventable
diseases through the Universal Immunisation Programme
✦ Universal consumption of iodised salt, elimination of vitamin A deficiency, reduction in iron deficiency among
pregnant women, adolescent girls and children under-5 years
BOX 1.3
CHILDREN IN AP: IS THE STATE ON THE MOVE?
There are more than enough reasons to show us why budgeting for children deserves priority attention in India:
Andhra Pradesh has 1.8 crore children between 5 and 14 years of age; they make up 23 per cent of the state’s population.
As many as 13.6 lakh of these children are labourers. AP’s child labourers make up 7.7 per cent of India’s child labour
force.
Drop out rate: 53.17 per cent of these 1.8 crore children drop out before they complete Class VII. The drop out rate for
girls is 54.6 per cent as compared to 51.95 per cent for boys.
Low weight prevalence: The percentage of new-borns weighing less than 2.5 kg has increased – from 3.6 per cent in
1992-93 to 7.3 per cent in 1998-99. Rural areas fare better (6.5 per cent) than urban areas (9.6).*
In the state, 37.7 per cent of 0- to 3-year-old children are undernourished.
Children from AP’s tribes are the worst off. While the Infant Mortality Rate is 62 for AP as a whole, it is 83 in the tribal
areas. And while 52 per cent of AP’s children between 1 and 2 years of age are fully vaccinated, in tribal areas, only 26 per
cent of the children are fully vaccinated.
More than half – 54.7 per cent – of the state’s pre-school children suffer from malnutrition.
In AP as a whole, 72.3 per cent of the children are anaemic.
AP has the highest number of women- and child-victims of sexual exploitation – 40 per cent of those trafﬁcked for the
sex-trade in the country. Over 93 per cent of the trafﬁcking in AP occurs at the inter-district and inter-state levels.**
Source: * NFHS I and II | ** A Report of National Commission for Women, 1997
1 The following information is based on the Andhra PradeshVision 2020. Govt of Andhra Pradesh.2003, and India Development Report, 2004-05, Box-5.1

15
✦ Achievement of universal primary education
✦ Reduction of the number of people living in extreme poverty, by 50 per cent
✦ To eliminate gender disparity in primary and secondary education
✦ Reduction of under-five Mortality Rate by two-third and MMR by three-quarters
✦ To facilitate the re-entry of dropouts into schools, at levels appropriate to their age, by initiating a back-to-school
programme specially targeted at girls, and at children from SC, ST, backward classes and minorities
✦ Development of specific programmes to promote education for girls
✦ To ensure access of safe drinking water and proper toilet facilities in all educational institutions
✦ Expansion of Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) scheme implemented throughAnganwadis to cover all
children under the age of six by increasing the number of these centres, providing practical training to anganwadi
workers and providing play material, picture books, posters etc
It is in within the realities of the status of children inAndhra Pradesh,and the state government’s instruments and commitments
to benefit children, that this study sets out to examine and analyse the financial resources earmarked for children within the
state budget.
BfC in A.P - An Overview
A first glance at the Andhra Pradesh budget over the five-year period of study shows that Budget Estimates for the state as a
whole have risen steadily every year (Table 1.2). In terms of percentage, BE for the state budget has moved up by 54.5 per
cent between 2001-02 and 2005-06. (Table 1.2)
Between 2002-03 and 2005-06, social sector allocation also reveals an upward move in absolute numbers, but BE for the
social sector decreased as a percentage of the state budget
– from 24.9 in 2002-03 to 23.7 in 2005-06.
In stark contrast to the growth in percentage of the state
budget, the percentage of allocation for children has
declined – from 12.35 per cent in 2001-02 to 11.53 per
cent in 2005-06. Given the huge strides the state needs to
take for the basic care of its children, this decline defies
understanding even though BE figures in the budget for
children have risen in absolute terms.
Of every Rs 100 in the AP budget, children have
received an average of Rs 12.27 during the five-
year period.
As shown in table.2, the Budget for Children forms an
important component of the social sector allocation – an
average of 50.13 per cent in five years,which is apparently
reasonable. But the fact remains that allocation for the
social sector and allocation for children has declined on
both counts as a percentage of the state budget.
Figure 1.1 | BfC AS PERCENTAGE OF THE AP
BUDGET. AVERAGE ALLOCATION (BE):
2000-01 TO 2005-06
BFC Other than BFC
87.73
12.27

16
BfC in AP - Sectoral Allocation
Even as allocation for children in the five-year period is insufficient to meet the targets and goals set by the state government
for itself, the development and protection of children in AP has clearly received short shrift from the government.
Of every Rs 100 allocated in the AP budget, child development has been provided an average of 0.54 paise
in the five-year period.
Of every Rs 100 allocated in the AP budget, the protection sector has received an average of 0.16 paise
during the five-year period.
Within the budget for children, maximum allocation has
been given to the education sector, followed by the health,
development and protection sectors. While allocation for
education registered a small increase every year, resources
for children’s health have actually been reduced. Budget
Estimates for the health sector are considerably less between
2002-03 and 2004-05, in comparison to BE in 2001-02.
And from 2001-02 to 2005-06, allocation for the health
sector as percentage of BfC has fallen – from 16.2 per cent
to 11.6 per cent.
The nutrition status of AP’s under-six children is grim and
the sexual exploitation of children alarming. But there
seems to be little connection between these facts and
financial allocation for the development and protection
sectors of BfC. Over five years, child development received
between 3.2 and 5.3 per cent of BfC, and the protection
sector merely 1.2 to 1.5 per cent of it.
Post-allocation, the Revised Estimates and the Actual
Expenditure bring us closer to understanding the gaps in
utilization and implementation.
Table 1.2 | THE AP BUDGET, SOCIAL SECTOR ALLOCATION AND BfC
Year Total AP Social Sector Allocation on BfC as percentage BfC as percentage
Budget Allocation children (BfC) of Social Sector of Total AP Budget
Allocation
2001-02 3582362 … 442539 … 12.35
2002-03 3942001 981307 493455 50.3 12.45
2003-04 4348044 1112167 569052 51.2 13.09
2004-05 5114249 1207902 608508 50.4 11.9
2005-06 5533130 1313546 637986 48.6 11.53
Average Allocation BfC during this period 50.13 12.27
Source: Detailed Demand For Grants (2002-03 to 2005-06)
Education
Other than BfC
Health
87.73
10.10
1.5
.54
.16
Development Protection
Figure 1.2 | SECTORAL ALLOCATION (BE) OF BfC
AS PERCENTAGE OF THE AP BUDGET.
AVERAGE: 2000-01 TO 2005-06

17
Table 1.3 | SECTORAL ALLOCATION WITHIN BfC
Departments 2001-02 2002-03 2003-04 2004-05 2005-06 Average Average
Percentage Percentage
in AP Budget within BfC
BE BE BE BE BE BE BE
Education 351339 404287 469072 502668 529518 10.1 82.02
(79.4 %) (82%) (82.4%) (82.6 %) (83 %)
Health 71480 60735 62586 68231 74178 1.5 12.26
(16.2 %) (12.3 %) (11 %) (11.2 %) (11.6 %)
Development 14289 20807 30039 29985 26673 0.54 4.43
(3.2 %) (4.2 %) (5.3 %) (4.9 %) (4.2 %)
Protection 5431 7626 7355 7623 7617 0.16 1.29
(1.2 %) (1.5 %) (1.3 %) (1.3 %) (1.2 %)
Total BfC 442539 493455 569052 608508 637986 12.27 (100.0 %)
(100.0 %) (100.0 %) (100.0 %) (100.0 %) (100.0 %)
During each of the years until 2004-05, Revised Estimates are lower than Budget Estimates, and Actual Expenditure is
substantially lower than RE. In the year 2002-03, the AE to BE negative difference is 16.3 per cent; and in the following year
AE is 14.6 per cent lower than BE.
Are the reasons for repeated under-spending in the BfC sectors of AP any different from those provided by the central
government? Officials who prefer to remain anonymous say,“It may be a problem with the release of funds, or sometimes the
funds have been allocated elsewhere and are unused or have lapsed. Or it may simply be the lack of capacity of the respective
agencies implementing the programme…”
A closer look at the Actual Expenditure of different programmes and schemes reveals that while under-spending – as in
the case of the Union Budget – seems to be a recurrent feature, at the state level of AP at least, high under-spending or nil-
spending is connected to certain programmes and schemes.
In the year 2002-03 for instance,Actual Expenditure in various programmes and schemes of the education sector of BfC is as
follows.The figures at the end of each programme indicate the unspent percentage of the budget.
✦ District Primary Education Programme (DPEP) – 91.34 per cent
✦ Sarva Shiksha Abhiyaan (SSA) – 28.44 per cent
✦ Prime Minister’s GramodyogYojna (PMGY) – 100 per cent
✦ Environmental Orientation School Programme – 100 per cent
✦ Language Development Programme for Secondary Education – 29.37 per cent
✦ State Councils for Education Research andTraining (SCERTs) – 78 per cent
✦ Universalization of Secondary Education – 100 per cent
And during the same year – 2002-03 – under-spending is revealed in the following programmes of the protection sector of
BfC:
✦ Children in need of care and protection – 76.5 per cent
✦ Capital Outlay – Building for Handicapped and Correctional Services – 94.64 per cent

18
While certain justifications for delay in the release of funds or sanction of proposed schemes may be genuine, repeated and
consistent under-spending can only indicate non-performance of a grave nature both at the planning and implementation
levels.
Within the AP budget for children, there seem to be other reasons too, for under-utilization or non-utilization of allocated
funds. A closer examination of programme-specific documents reveals that several schemes and programmes which were
introduced were either forgotten about or not sustained in terms of allocation.A few examples:
✦ Swayam Siddha, a programme for empowering women, was introduced through the development sector.Although an
allocated amount was recorded in the Revised Estimates of 2002-03, Actual Expenditure was nil. In 2003-04, Actual
Expenditure was 6.4 per cent of the allocated amount of Rs 607.24 lakh.The programme continued to receive financial
allocation in the following two years.
✦ A centrally-sponsored scheme titled EducationTechnology Programme shows that approximately 98.5 per cent of the
allocation of Rs 2.5 crore was unspent in 2001-02. Despite a total allocation of Rs 4 crore in the following four years,
AE was nil after 2001-02.
AP has 13.6 lakh child labourers according to Census 2001.The National Child Labour Project (NCLP), Union Ministry of
Labour,had sanctioned 1,044 special schools or centres in 22 districts ofAP with the aim of covering 52,200 children per year.
In 2002 however, only 50,670 children or 3.73 per cent of child labourers had been covered under NCLP. (CAG.2004)iv
Between 1999 and 2004, the Government of India released Rs 72.09 crore to the relevant project societies in AP, for
implementation of NCLP.The Comptroller andAuditor General’s (CAG) report of 2004v
however reveals that these societies
failed to maintain distinct accounts for NCLP, and that the project’s financial resources were mixed with those of DPEP and
SSA.
BfC in AP – External Aid
Reaching an accurate understanding of the external aid component in a state budget is not quite possible given the current
procedures of fund transfer and accounting followed both at the state and central government level.
A case in point is the National Child Labour Project, which is classified as a national programme. Funds received for this
project by GoI, and further released to the states, are neither reflected in the Union Budget nor in theAP state budget (or that
of any other state receiving NCLP funds). Currently, all external aid received for NCLP is released by GoI to the respective
‘Project Societies’ set up in the states.
Table 1.4 | BE, RE & AE IN BfC OF AP
Year BE RE AE BE - RE BE - AE
2001-02 442539 430940 410977 11599 2.621 31562 7.132
2002-03 493455 466072 412874 27383 5.549 80581 16.329
2003-04 569052 497306 485524 71746 12.607 83528 14.678
2004-05 608508 590248 NA 18260 3.000
2005-06 637986 NA NA

19
For the protection sector in the budget for
children in AP therefore, details of external
aid for programmes related to the issue of
childlabourarenotshownintheDemandsfor
Grants or other budget related documents.
The available information on the external
aid component in AP’s BfC is consequently
limited.
In addition, although AP has received funds
under SSA (a centrally sponsored scheme
which has a high component of external aid)
and DPEP (again with a high component of
external aid), in table.1.5, the amount of
external aid in the education sector for the
year 2005-06 is shown as nil. In the previous year, 2004-05 too, the EA component in the education sector is nil. This is
because DPEP-APERP, which is centrally sponsored scheme (totally funded externally), doesn’t show any allocation from
2004-05 onwards.
As indicated in table.4.8 on page 54, the highest amount of external aid in BfC ofAP is in the development sector.This fact is
directly related to the centrally sponsored ICDS scheme, funds for which are the highest in this sector.
Table 1.5 | SECTORAL EXTERNAL AID COMPONENT IN BfC
OF AP (in Per cent)
Year Health Education Development Total
2001-02 0 3.54 39 4.1
2002-03 7.2 4.98 48.1 6.8
2003-04 6.9 2.23 49.5 5.2
2004-05 3.2 0.70 49.6 3.4
2005-06 3 0 39.2 2
Average 4.06 2.29 45.08 4.3
Source:Detailed Demand For Grants (2002-03 to 2005-06)

20
End Notes
i Judith Streak (compiled). Monitoring Government Budgets to Advance Child Rights. A Guide for NGOs. Children’s
Budget Unit, Budget Information Service, Institute for Democracy. IDASA. South Africa
ii National Plan of Action for Children, 2005. Ministry ofWomen and Child Development . Government of India
ii Santosh Desai. LastWord. Blinded by Shanghai.TheWeek.August 28 2005
ii S.P. Ganguly. Fundamentals of Government Budgeting in India . Third Revised Edition. 2000. Concept Publishing
Company. New Delhi
ii Judith Streak (compiled). Monitoring Government Budgets to Advance Child Rights. A Guide for NGOs. Children’s
Budget Unit, Budget Information Service, Institute for Democracy. IDASA. South Africa
iii Indices – Government of India (2001), National Human Development Report, Planning Commission
iv Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India, for the year ended 31, March, 2004, (CIVIL) Govt of Andhra
Pradesh, Chapter III – Performance Reviews, Education/Labour, Employment,Training and Factories Department, Page
no - 42
v Ibid

21
C hildren have the right to lead a healthy life and develop to
their full capacities irrespective of where they live or their
socio-economic status. Early childhood care and development is
considered the most essential right to be ensured for children,
because without proper childhood development, all other rights
would become meaningless.Therefore it is necessary that all efforts
be made for ensuring that the child’s human capital is developed to
its fullest potential.
Till the Fifth Five-Year Plan, the focus of the Government of India
was on child welfare, through the promotion of basic minimum
servicesforchildren.ThisculminatedintheadoptionoftheNational
Policy for Children in 1974. The fifth five-year plan (1974-79)
saw a shift of focus from welfare to development and integration
and co-ordination of services by launching the Integrated Child
Development Services in 1975.The sixth five-year plan (1980-85)
was an era of strengthening child welfare and development with
expansion and enrichment of child development services through
various programmes.The focus of the eighth five-year plan period
(1992-97) shifted to human development through advocacy,
mobilisation and community empowerment. The government
has declared its commitment to every child in the ninth five-year
plan (1997-2002). (DWCD. 1999-2000). The approaches of the
Tenth five-year plan (2002-2007) also emphasises the survival,
protection and development of children especially - the girl child.
Priority is given to protect children in general and children with
specialneeds,inparticularandforpromotionofchilddevelopment
through health, nutrition and education through RCH and ICDS.
Budget for Children
(BfC) – Development
chapter two

22
Current Situation of the Children in Andhra
Pradesh
As estimated in Census 2001, there are 102 lakh children in the age group of 0-6 years. About 10.5 per cent of children
are severely under-nourished which indicates that they may be functionally impaired. 28.2 per cent of children suffer from
moderate malnutrition, which implies the children may not reach their full physical and mental potential without proper
intervention.
One in every 15 infants dies before reaching the age of one year.The goals set up in year 2000 to reduce infant mortality rate
(45 per 1000 live births) was not achieved even in year 2004(62 per 1000 live births).
International Conventions
Article 3 - UN Convention on the rights of the Child - 1989
1. In all actions concerning children, whether undertaken by public or private social welfare institutions, courts of law,
administrative authorities or legislative bodies, the best interests of the child shall be a primary consideration.
2. States Parties undertake to ensure the child such protection and care as is necessary for his or her well-being, taking into
account the rights and duties of his or her parents, legal guardians, or other individuals legally responsible for him or her, and,
to this end, shall take all appropriate legislative and administrative measures.
3. States Parties shall ensure that the institutions, services and facilities responsible for the care or protection of children shall
conform with the standards established by competent authorities, particularly in the areas of safety, health, in the number and
suitability of their staff, as well as competent supervision.
National Commitments
Constitution of India Article 39(f)
The state shall ensure “that children are given opportunities and facilities to develop in a healthy manner and in conditions
of freedom and dignity and that childhood and youth are protected against exploitation and against moral and material
abandonment”.
The millennium development goals declared by India include specific goals regarding children.These include:
Some relevant Development Goals (Millennium Development Goals) upto 2015i
✦ Achieve Universal Primary Education.
✦ Reduce the proportion of people who suffers from extreme poverty by 50 per cent.
✦ Eliminate gender disparity in primary and secondary education.
✦ Ensure environmental sustainability, in particular, reduce by 50 per cent, the proportion of people without sustainable
access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation.
✦ Reduce by two-third the Under-five Mortality Rate and by three-quarters in the Maternal Mortality Ratio.

23
Supreme Court Directions on ICDS
In the year 2001, the Supreme Court has directed the State Governments and UnionTerritories to implement the Integrated
Child Development Services (ICDS) in full and to ensure that every ICDS disbursing centres in the country provide 300
calories and 8-10 grams of protein for each child upto 6 years of age; 500 calories and 20-25 grams of protein for each
adolescent girl and the same amount for each pregnant woman and nursing mother; and 600 calories and 16-20 grams of
protein for each malnourished child.
In October 2004, the Supreme Court issued detailed instructions, which required universalisation of the scheme, including all
SC/ST habitations and prohibited targeting only below poverty line households. It also ordered the sanction of the allocated
amount in time to avoid disruption in the feeding of children and to ensure utilisation of the entire state and central allocation
by the states and UTs and ordered that under no circumstances the allocated amounts shall be diverted or returned to the
centre.
State’s Commitments on Child Development
There are no specific goals set for child development. Major Goals set by the State ofAndhra Pradesh for early child hood care
and development are listed below:
Allocation and Expenditure in the
Development Sector of BfC
The allocation on development sector as a percentage of the total state budget has increased from 2001-02 to 2003-04 reaching
a maximum of 0.69 per cent in 2003-04. It subsequently decreased to 0.48 per cent in year 2005-06. Expenditure on the
other hand, as a percentage of total state budgets, has increased from 0.25 per cent in 2001-02 to 2002-03 to 0.42 per cent.
On an average, only 0.54 per cent of total state budget has
been allocated for the development sector in BfC, and 0.36
per cent has been spent.
Revised estimates have been substantially lower than initial
budget estimates in all the years except 2001-02. Revised
Estimates decreased by 25.5 per cent from budget estimates
in 2002-03, which is the highest decrease in the period
under study. The substantial difference between budget
estimates and revised estimates in the years 2003-04 and
2004-05 could also be traced to the decrease in funding for
theWorld BankAssisted ICDS Scheme as well as to the fall
in funding from the centre by 21.8 per cent and 21.7 per
cent respectively in two years.
The year 2003-04 shows maximum under-spending of
allocated resources when actual expenditure was 35.6
per cent lower than the budgetary allocation (18.72 per
cent lower than the revised estimates), followed by the
2001-02 when actual expenditure was lower by 26.4 per
cent compared to both budgetary allocation and revised
estimates.
Figure 2.1 | BE, RE AND AE IN DEVELOPMENT
SECTOR OF BFC IN AP. 2001-02 TO
2005-06
RE
2001-02
0
1000
1500
2000
2500
3000
3500
500
2002-03 2003-04 2004-05 2005-06
AEBE

24
Other than Development in
BfC
Table 2.2 | DIFFERENCE BETWEEN BE, RE AND AE IN DEVELOPMENT SECTOR OF BfC IN AP
2001-02 TO 2003-04
Year AE – BE AE – BE AE – RE AE – RE RE-BE RE-BE
Lakh per cent Lakh per cent Lakh per cent
2001-02 -3768.9 -26.4 -3768.9 26.38 0 0
2002-03 -4442 -21.3 864.7 5.57 -5306.7 -25.5
2003-04 -10706.2 -35.6 -4452.5 18.72 -6253.5 -20.8
Average 0.29 -29.04 0.13 13.73 -0.177 17.75
Source: Detailed Demands For Grants (2002-03 to 2005-06) | *The negative sign (-) indicate that revised estimates lower than budget estimates.
Child Development in BfC
FIGURE 2.2 A | ALLOCATION FOR THE
DEVELOPMENT SECTOR AS A
PERCENTAGE OF BfC OF AP.
AVERAGE: 2001-02 TO 2005-06
Other than Development
in AP State Budget
Child Development in State
Budget of AP
FIGURE 2.2 B | ALLOCATION FOR DEVELOPMENT
SECTOR AS A PERCENTAGE OF AP
STATE BUDGET. AVERAGE:
2001-02TO 2005-06
95.57
4.43 0.54%
Table 2.1 | ALLOCATION AND EXPENDITURE ON DEVELOPMENT SECTOR OF BfC IN AP
Year Total state Total budget for Allocation for Expenditure for
budget AP development sector child development child development
within the BfC as percentage of as percentage of total
total state budget state expenditure
BE AE BE RE AE
2001-2002 3582362 4274745 14288.9 14288.9 10520. 0.40 0.25
2002-2003 3942001 3859695 20806.7 15500 16364.7 0.53 0.42
2003-2004 4348044 4885580 30038.7 23785. 19332.5 0.69 0.40
2004-2005 5114249 NA 29985.2 23765.2 NA 0.59 NA
2005-2006 5533130 NA 26673.2 NA NA 0.48 NA

25
Since ICDS is the largest component in the development sector programmes, any increase/ decrease in funding for this
scheme affects both the estimates and expenditure on child development. In the year 2001-02, the BE and the RE were the
same. However, the actual expenditure on ICDS scheme was 3931.16 lakhs less than BE and RE. In 2003-04, the AE was
9450.6 lakhs less than the BE and 3197 lakhs less than revised estimates in the year. (See Annexure 1,Table 1.2)
In the year 2002-03, there was under-utilisation of resources for some of the schemes such as “Swayam Sidha” and “Balika
Samridhi Yojana”. However the actual expenditure was higher than the revised estimates. This could be due to the actual
expenditure on ICDS Scheme being 913.3 lakhs more than the revised estimates because of the increase in funding from
Central Government.
MajorProgrammes/SchemesinDevelopment
Sector of BfC
A number of programmes/schemes are being implemented inAndhra Pradesh in the child development sector.These include
programmes meant exclusively for children and those addressing both women and children such as Balika SamridhiYojna
aimed at giving grants to the mother of a girl child in families below poverty line and ICDS aiming at overall development of
the children etc.
Balika SamridhiYojana
The scheme of Balika SamridhiYojana was launched on 2nd October 1997 with the objective of raising the overall status of
the girl child and bringing about a positive change in family and community attitudes towards the girl child. The scheme
covers upto two girl children born on or after 15th August, 1997 in a family living below the poverty line as defined by the
Government of India, in any rural or urban area. During 1997-98 and 1998-99, the mothers of the newborn girl child were
given a grant of Rs.500/- each in cash. But after the financial year 1999-2000, the post-delivery grant of Rs 500/- is being
deposited in an interest bearing account or post office in the name of the girl child. In addition, the girl child can now receive
scholarships for each class of study successfully completed by her, ranging from Rs.300/- for Class I to Rs.1, 000/- for Class
X.The scholarship amounts are also to be deposited in the above account.The accumulated value of the deposits in the account
will be payable to the girl child on her attaining the age of 18 years and having remained unmarried till then.
Table 1.1 inAnnexure 1 shows the allocation and expenditure for the programme.In the year 2003-04,as against the budgeted
provision of Rs.6.87 lakhs the entire amount was surrendered and the reason has been stated in the Appropriation Accounts,
2003-04, as due to non-sanction of the scheme.
Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) Scheme
The ICDS scheme isAndhra Pradesh’s most important child nutrition intervention.This programme was launched in 1975 to
promote child survival and development through an integrated package of services covering child care, early stimulation and
learning, improved enrolment and retention, health and nutrition, and water and environmental sanitation.
It is a totally centrally sponsored scheme.The scheme aims at improving the nutritional and health status of children under 6
years, pregnant and nursing mother and adolescent girls in the age group of 11-17 years through a package of services. ICDS
was started in Andhra Pradesh on an experimental basis with two ICDS projects at Utnoor and Kambadur.Among the total
of 363 ICDS projects sanctioned inAndhra Pradesh, 351 projects are in operation as on 31stAugust 2004.And among 54312
anganwadi centres sanctioned, 53635 anganwadi centres have been functioning in the 351 ICDS projects, as on 31.08.2004.
ICDS constitutes the major share of the development sector budget within BfC.There has been a steady increase in its allocation
since 2001-02 to 2003-04, highest allocation being in the year 2003-04 (28744.50 lakhs), an increase of 101.17 per cent as
compared to BE in 2001-02.Thereafter, there has been gradual decline in BE for ICDS over the next two years. In 2005-06 it

26
has been a decline of 11.57 per cent in the allocation since the previous year. Revised estimates have been always lower than
BE except in 2001-02, when the RE was the same as BE. Reduction of provision from budget estimates to revised estimates
in the year 2002-03 was stated in theAppropriationAccountii
as‘due to delay in establishment of new ICDS centres’. But the
reason for over spending in that year was not mentioned. In 2003-04, the under spending in ICDS Programme was mainly due
to reduction of fund inWorld Bank Assisted Enriched ICDS Programme that year. In another sub-component namely ICDS,
there was reduction of budgeted provision from Rs12381 lakhs to 9000 lakhs and the reason of reduction in provision was
mainly due to observance of economy that year.
i. Nutrition Programme under ICDS
Emphasis has been given to Special Supplementary Nutrition Programmes (SNP) for infants and children in the age group
of 6 months to 6 years and pregnant and lactating mothers. A sum of Rs 676 lakhs was provided under Non-plan during
2005-06.
Approximately 5.9 lakh of women and 25.7 lakh children in the age group of 0-6 years have benefited by the project as on
2002.There are 102 lakh children in the state below the age of 6 years who needs child care. 25.7 lakh children are being
covered by ICDS amounting to 25 per cent of total child population of this age group.
If each creche was to cater 50 children, there is a need of 2 lakh creches in the state. If the GOI norms stipulate that Rs.1 per
day per child is to be allocated and that there should be 300 days feeding in a year, then Rs 306 crores needs to be allocated for
this programme.The allocation for every year starting from 2001-02 to 2005-06 has been much lower.The current financial
year (2005-06) shows that there is an allocation of Rs. 254.18 crores leading to a shortfall of Rs.51.82 crores.
ii. World Bank Assisted ICDS projects
The first phase of ICDS programme in Andhra Pradesh was with 110 blocks between 1990-91 to 1997.The project covered
all the tribal blocks and socially backward rural poor and the funds obtained from theWorld Bank were used.
Encouraged by the positive gains from ICDS phase I, on child survival, growth and development as well as empowerment
of women, the state government extended the scheme to Phase II in 1998 covering 143 rural blocks and improving the
accessibility and quality of the services in 108 existing projects.
iii. ICDS-APER (1999-2004)
This is a project under AP Economic Restructure Project, which has been approved in 1999. The project covered a total
population of 12.9 million spreading over 13 districts in the state. Evaluations show that this project has achieved the set
targets.The findings are that the children who participated in it had better social development and scholastic performance at
schools compared to those who did not attend the anganwadi centres during the pre-school age period.
Approximately 31 more projects were taken up in 4836AWCs during 2002-03. Some of the innovative programmes taken up
under the scheme include adolescent girls scheme, civil works, management information systems, early childhood education,
MISUSE OF FUNDS FOR ICDS
CAG Report states that -- “GOI in August, 1986 permitted the utilisation of sale of proceeds of empty containers (bags and
tins) for speciﬁed purposes such as fuel, condiments, utensils, repair of AWC etc… but the Commissioners of Women Devel-
opment and Child Welfare Department have diverted Rs 1.71 crores being the sale proceeds of empty containers of food for
meeting expenditure on repairs and maintenance of ofﬁce buildings, State homes, conducting health baby shows, purchase of
furniture, expenses of International Women Day celebration, payment of electricity charges, printing of posters, purchase of
AC etc between 1999-2004……Utilisation of programme funds for purposes not covered by the guidelines constituted unau-
thorised diversion and this adversely affected the implementation of ICDS programme.”
CAG for the year ended 31, March, 2004, Chapter – IV, Pg no – 141,142

27
training and information education and communication.The scheme also focuses on the problems of girls in the villages, by
conducting of bridge courses for the school dropouts and mainstreaming them in regular schools.
iv. Training of ICDS Functionaries
Training programmes have been conducted for the functionaries associated with implementation of the ICDS scheme at all
levels, such as Anganwadi Workers, Supervisors, Child Development Project Officers and Programme Officers. At present
40 anganwadi training centres, 4 middle level training centres have been established in Andhra Pradesh to meet the training
needs of the ICDS functionaries.
v. Reaching out to Adolescent Girls
One of the important interventions of ICDS Project is the coverage of girls in the age group of 11-18 years to meet their
needs of self-development, nutrition, health, education and literacy, recreation and skill formation. So far 6,93,900 girls were
provided with IFA supplementation in 150World Bank ICDS Projects.
vi. Early Childhood Education
Voluntary Agencies have been given financial assistance to run early childhood (pre-schools) education centres particularly
for the disadvantaged sections in rural/tribal/backward areas. The main objective of this programme has been to reduce
the dropout rate and to improve the rate of retention of children in the age group of 3-6 years in primary schools. 6,441
anganwadi centres were upgraded as ECE centres. 23, 929 ECE kits consisting of activity cards, manuals and calendars were
supplied to the anganwadi centres. 3000 out door play material kits were supplied to the anganwadi centres and 23, 130 pre-
school kits i. e. indoor play materials were procured.
C. Swayam Siddha Scheme
In the year 2003-04,out of the budgeted and revised amount of Rs 607.24 lakhs only Rs 38.60 lakhs was spend.But no specific
reason for the saving and surrender of Rs568.64 has been intimated as on 31.3.2004.
D. Creches/Day Care scheme for working and ailing mothers
There are around 1.3 crore working women in the state: Of these approximately 83 per cent are working in the unorganised
sector. Crèche/Day Care scheme for working and ailing mothers was started in the year 1975. Only those children whose
parents’ total monthly income does not exceed Rs. 1800/- are covered under the scheme. Grants released from the National
Crèche Fund and the scheme of Assistance to Voluntary Organisation for Crèches for Working and Ailing Women during
2004-05 was 119.22 lakhs.
External Aid in Child Development
The only external aid for the child development sector is for the World Bank Assisted ICDS project. The table 2.3 shows
consistent increase in the share of external aid in expenditure on child development over the years from 26.3 per cent in
2001-02 to 45.7 in 2003-04. During the period 2001-02 to 2003-04, an average of 37 per cent of total expenditure on ICDS
scheme has been through external aid.
Table 2.4 shows the rate of change in external aid in BE, RE and AE from 2001-02 to 2005-06.The increase and decrease in
the rate of growth in external aid is directly proportional to the increase and decrease in the share of external aid for ICDS
scheme. For example, in 2002-03, the share of external aid in budget estimates has shown a growth rate of 79.7 per cent
from previous year because there was a sudden increase in aid fromWorld Bank to ICDS programme in this year.The share of
internal contribution on ICDS programme has increased in budget estimates and actual expenditure.

28
Table 2.4 | RATE OF CHANGE IN EXTERNAL AID IN BE, RE AND
AE ON PROGRAMMES FOR CHILD DEVELOPMENT
In per cent
Year BE RE AE
2002-03 79.7 20.8 118.8
2003-04 48.6 78.2 46.1
2004-05 0 –28.3 NA
2005-06 –29.6 NA NA
Source: Detailed Demands For Grants (2002-03 to 2005-06)
Figure 2.3 | SHARE OF EXTERNAL AID IN EXPENDITURE ON CHILD DEVELOPMENT
(IN PER CENT)
2001-02
26.3
37
45.7
0
10
20
30
40
50
2002-03 2003-04
Share of External Aid in Expenditure on Child
Development (in Percentage)
Table 2.3 | EXTERNAL AID IN EXPENDITURE ON CHILD DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMMES
Year In Lakhs Rs. Per cent
AE- Child Development External Aid on AE- Share of External Aid in
Child Development Expenditure on Child Development
2001-02 10520.04 2765.92 26.3
2002-03 16364.74 6052.94 37
2003-04 19332.50 8842.35 45.7
Average 15405.76 5887.07 38.2
Source: Detailed Demands for Grants (2002-03 to 2005-06)

29
Key Observations
✦ Though the state government has recognised the fact that early childhood care and development should be given priority
for overall development of the children as well as the state,budgetary allocations and utilisation of the allocations do not
reflect this priority.
✦ Average allocation on development as a percentage of total state budget was 0.54 per cent, during 2001-02 to 2005-06
and average expenditure on development has been only 0.36 per cent of total state budget.
✦ Average spending on child development, as a percentage of total social sector spending has been 2.45 per cent. Of the
total expenditure in the BfC, child development constituted an average of 4.4 per cent.
✦ Share of external aid on programme for child development has shown consistent rise over the years,forming about 38.2
per cent of total funding for child development sector in the period 2001-04.

30
Annexure
State Budget for Individual Programmes/Schemes for Child Development 1
BALIKA SAMRIDHI YOJANA
In Rs. Lakhs
Year BE RE AE
2001-02 0 0 162.34
2002-03 687.00 687.00 685.92
2003-04 687.00 687.00 …
2004-05 687.00 687.00 NA
2005-06 687.00 NA NA
INTEGRATED CHILD DEVELOPMENT SERVICES
In Rs. Lakhs
Year BE RE AE
2001-02 14288.86 14288.86 10357.70
2002-03 20119.67 14765.50 15678.82
2003-04 28744.50 22490.77 19293.90
2004-05 28690.98 22470.94 NA
2005-06 25417.53 NA NA
SWAYAM SIDDHA SCHEME
In Rs. Lakhs
Year BE RE AE
2001-02 0 0 0
2002-03 0 47.50 …
2003-04 607.24 607.24 38.60
2004-05 607.24 607.24 NA
2005-06 568.64 NA
1 The figures in the tables have been computed from Detailed Demand for Grants (2002-03 to 2005-06) Ministry of Social Justice and EmpowermentWomen’s Development,
ChildWelfare and DisabledWelfare Department

31
References
Constitution of India
Convention on the Right of the Child, 1989
National Plans and Policies-- India’s Children and the Union Budget (Chapter 3, Child Development), HAQ: Centre for Child
Rights
Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment--Women’s Development, Child Welfare and Disabled Welfare Department,
Detailed Demand for Grants 2001-02 to 2005-06
Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment--Women’s Development, Child Welfare and Disabled Welfare Department,
Annual Reports for respective years.
Economic Survey, 2003-04, published by Finance Commission
CAG Report(Civil), Government of Andhra Pradesh for theYear Ended 31st March, 2003
CAG Report(Civil), Government of Andhra Pradesh for theYear Ended 31st March, 2004
Appropriation Accounts for 2002-03 and 2003-04
Andhra Pradesh Budget in Brief for 2002-03 to 2005-06
Website: http://wcd.nic.in/childdet.htm - top
End Notes
1 India Development Report, 2004-05, Box-5.12 National Plan ofAction for Children,2005.Ministry ofWomen and Child
Development . Government of India
2 Appropriation Accounts, 2002-03, Govt. of Andhra Pradesh, Pg no - 211

33
C hildren’s healthisconsideredaveryimportantpartofnational
development. Other than state and national commitments,
there are international commitments such as UN Convention on
the Rights of the Child to which India is a signatory. However, the
current situation in Andhra Pradesh (AP), as far as child health is
concerned, does not present a very happy picture. On most of
the health indicators, AP is lagging behind in the goals it has set
for itself in its vision document and ranks in the middle amongst
all states in India, unlike in the field of education where Andhra
Pradesh has been ranked amongst the top four to five states on
most indicators.
Health indicators given below provide an idea of the current
situation regarding Child Health.
Budget for Children
(BfC) – Health
chapter three
Table 3.1 |
Health Indicators AP India
Stunted children - 0-3 years (in per cent) * 33.9 38.4
Wasted - 0-3 years (in per cent) * 12.7 19.1
Underweight - 0-3 years (in per cent) * 36.5 45.9
Children - 12-23 months fully 46 44
vaccinated (in per cent) *
Children suffering from Anemia 79 79.2
-6-35 months (in per cent) *
Malnutrition among pre-school children 39.9 50.5
(1-5 years) in 2000-2001 (in percent)**
* NFHS III- provisional data, Web site : http:/nfhsindia.org
** India Development Report 2004 – 05, Chapter 3, Pg no-53
Note - BCG, measles, and three doses each of DPT and polio vaccines

34
Table 3.2 shows that none of the goals that were set in 2000 have been achieved even by the year 2004. Given the backlog,
it seems unlikely that the goals set for the year 2010 will be attained. Lack of improvement in any health indicator itself
should be a matter of serious concern, but the deterioration as seen in urban is alarming and points to an immediate need
for improvement in programme delivery and the need for greater emphasis on community mobilization to utilize the health
services areasi
. Unfortunately, has been observed by the National Human Development Report 2001,“the decline in fertility
rate inAndhra Pradesh has not been accompanied by any significant improvement in social indicators.The female literacy rate
has been lower and infant mortality rate much higher than in Kerala andTamil Nadu. …Access to electronic media seems to
have played some motivational role in acceptance of family planning practices and, hence, in engineering a decline in fertility.
At the same time, it also observes that, “A large percentage of mothers — literates, as well as illiterates — have accepted
antenatal care, a majority of them from a medical doctor, both in urban and rural areas.1
…The relatively well managed
public distribution system for food grains through which subsidised rice is distributed and the Integrated Child Development
Services programme that integrates supplementary nutrition with primary health care and informal education have made an
impact on poverty alleviation and on family planning.”ii
The point mentioned in the Human Development Report that a large percentage of mothers are approaching medical doctors
for antenatal care, shows that the channel for improving child health situation inAndhra Pradesh exists.This link between the
mothers and doctors has to be used to ensure that all health services reach children.
Commitments
Apart from the commitments through International Commitments and National laws and policies that apply to all states in the
country,Andhra Pradesh has made some specific commitments
State Population Policy, 1997
The State Population Policy was formulated in 1997 in order to bring a radical change in the overall quality of the Health
and FamilyWelfare Programmes.The policy envisaged improvement of awareness in general public particularly in rural areas
regarding adoption of small family norm besides availing immunization services, antenatal and post-natal services.
Child Health related goals in AP inVision 2020
✦ To reduce Infant Mortality Rate to 10 per 1,000 live births by 2020
✦ To reduce Child Mortality Rate to 20 per 1000 by 2020
✦ To achieve Life Expectancy of 68.1 years for men and 70.6 years for women by 2020.
✦ Achieving 100 per cent usage of Oral RehydrationTherapy to prevent death among infants under 5 years of age from
diarrhoeal dehydration
Table 3.2 | CURRENT STATUS AND GOALS SET AGAINST FEW HEALTH INDICATORS IN AP BUDGET
Health Indicators Goals Current Status
2000 2010 2020 2004
Infant Mortality Rate (IMR)* 45 30 10 62
Crude Birth Rate (CBR)** 19 15 13 20.6
Crude Death Rate (CDR)** 7.5 7 6 8
* per 1000 live births ** per 1000 population

35
✦ Reduction of death due to Acute Respiratory Infection under 5 years of age and
✦ Reduction of vaccine preventable diseases through Universal Immunisation Programme.
✦ Universal consumption of iodised salt, elimination of vitaminA deficiency, reduction in iron deficiency among pregnant
women, adolescent girls and children below 5 years of age.
A vision, which if achieved, could well take Andhra Pradesh into the top few states in India as far as child health is
concerned.
Selected Programmes and Schemes
Some of the important interventions implemented by the Government of Andhra Pradesh for child health include Maternal
and Child Health Programme, Nutrition Programme and Reproductive and Child Health Programme.
Maternal and Child Health Programme
The MCH programme is related to the physical, mental and emotional health of women immediately before, during and after
childbirth; and of infants and young children. MCH seeks to address the high risk that women may face in relation to child
bearing and emphasizes the need for pregnant women to receive adequate prenatal care and postnatal care. It is also associated
with the health status of children, measured in the form of reduction in either mortality or risk to child survival. For the
promotion of child survival and health the MCH programme was modified as Child Survival and Safe Motherhood (CSSM) in
1992, which led to another programme known as Reproductive and Child Health Programme (RCH) in 1997.
Nutrition Programme
In order to reduce IMR and CMR and nutritional deficiencies among pre-school children and pregnant and lactating mothers,
the following nutrition programmes are being undertaken:
✦ Nutritional Programme—Subsidy on rice
✦ Nutritional Programme (Urban Slum)
✦ Nutritional Programme under Non-State-Plan
✦ Nutritional Programme under Special Component Plan
✦ Nutritional Programme underTribal Area Sub Plan
A supplementary nutritional programme was included as one of the important components in the ICDS programme. To
improve the nutritional status of the pre-school children in the age group of 0-6 years and pregnant and lactating mothers,
351 ICDS projects with 36877Anganwadi centers are functioning as onAugust, 2004.Approximately 5.9 lakhs of women and
25.7 lakh children in the age group of 0-6 years have been reached out to as on 2001.
Reproductive and Child Health Programme (RCH)
The main objective of this programme is the reduction in mortality among mothers and infants and increase child survival.This
programme integrates family welfare, women and child services and shifts the policy emphasis from achieving demographic
targets to meeting the health needs of women and children.Although the areas of foci are multiple,the reason for the inclusion
of this programme in this study was because of they include i.) increase in age at marriage ii.) nutrition of mothers and
children, iii.) immunisation iv.) home-based care for diarrhoea v) early detection of Acute Respiratory Infections Another
important element of this programme is the special focus on disadvantaged locations such as tribal areas, urban slums and
backward districts. It is directed towards:
✦ Enhancing the coverage, quality and effectiveness of services.

36
✦ Upgrading facilities and enhancing skills.
✦ Building awareness through IEC (Information, Education and Communication) programmes.
✦ Ensuring decentralized, community-based planning.
✦ Strengthening managerial capacity.
This programme is implemented with the support of major international donors -theWorld Bank, United Nations Population
Fund (UNFPA), the European Commission, United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF), The Department of International
Development (DFID) UK, and Danish International Development Agencies (DANIDA).
Training Programme for Auxiliary Nurse, Midwives, Dayas and Lady HealthVisitors
This programme is aimed at ensuring that the human resources involved in child health activities are properly trained and are
capable of implementing the health programmes. Programmes taken under this include A.N.MTraining Schools andTraining
forAuxiliary Nurses and Midwives, Dayas and Lady HealthVisitors.Training Programmes are conducted through four schools
run by local bodies and there are 14 voluntary organisations which are being given grant-in-aid towards maintenance grant for
running ANM/MPHW (F) (i.e. Multipurpose HealthWorkers) andTraining schools as per approval of Government of India.
BfC- The Health Sector
It is most disheartening to find that the allocation and expenditure on health sector for children as well as on general health in
the state’s total budget has declined over the last five years, 2001-02 to 2005-06. (seeTable 3.3) .
Figure 3.1 | ALLOCATION ON HEALTH SECTOR, BFC AND GENERAL HEALTH AS
PERCENTAGE OF AP BUDGET. AVERAGE: 2001-02 TO 2005-06
2001-02
2.5
0
3.0
0.5
3.5
1.0
4.0
1.5
4.5
2.0
2002-03 2004-052003-04 2005-06
Share of Health
Sector, BfC in
AP budget
Share of General
Health, other
than BfC in AP
budget

37
Budget Estimates, Revised Estimates, Actual
Expenditure
Table 3.4 and Figure 3.2 shows the differences between budgetary allocation, revised estimates and actual expenditures on
child health related programmes in Andhra Pradesh during the last five years.
Even while the share of BfC in health in the total budget has shown a decrease, an analysis of the budget estimates shows that
although there has been an increase in the share for children in 2005-06, there was a noticeable reduction in budget estimates
between 2001-02 to 2002-03.The budget estimates in
all the years in lower than the budget estimates.What
is worse, even what is allocated is not spent (Table
3.4). Actual expenditure both in absolute terms and
also as a percentage of total state expenditure has been
fluctuating with a declining trend, with a major dip in
the year 2002-2003.
The decline in revised estimates between 2001-02 to
2002-03 could be due the fall in fund allocation on
Nutrition Programme in 2002-03.Subsequent increases
in revised estimates could be due to the increase in
fund allocation on some of the important schemes such
as MCH Programme, Nutrition Programme, RCH
Programme etc.
Some of the reasons for this differences in BE, RE and
AE are:
✦ A sharp fall in revised estimates is seen in the
year 2002-03 where it was 19.8 per cent lower
than budget estimates. This difference can be
traced mostly to lower allocation on Nutrition
Programmes in revised estimates as compared to
budget estimates.
Table 3.3 | ALLOCATION ON CHILD HEALTH AS PART OF THE AP BUDGET
Year Health as percentage Health Sector, BfC as Health Sector, BfC
of AP Budget percentage of Allocation as percentage Expenditure
AP Budget (BE) in AP Budget (AE)
2001-2002 4.1 2 1.3
2002-2003 3.9 1.5 0.9
2003-2004 3.9 1.4 1.1
2004-2005 3.2 1.3 NA
2005-2006 3.3 1.3 NA
Average 3.7 1.5 1.1
Source: Detailed Demand For Grants,Health,Medical & Family welfare department (2002-03 to 2005-06), ,Govt. of Andhra Pradesh
0
80000
0
Figure 3.2 | THE AP BUDGET, SOCIAL SECTOR
ALLOCATION AND BFC
REBE
2001-02
0
30000
40000
50000
60000
70000
80000
20000
2002-03 2003-04 2004-05 2005-06
AE
Source: Detailed Demand For Grants, Health,Medical & Family welfare department (2002-03 to 2005-06),
Govt. of Andhra Pradesh (2002-03 to 2005-06)
Note: Revised Estimates for 2005-06 and Actual expenditure for 2004-05 and 2005-06 are not yet been
presented.
10000

38
✦ Year 2001-02 and 2003-04 also shows large difference between Revised Estimates and Budget Estimates.The Revised
Estimateswerelesserby17.5percentand15.3percentrespectively.In2001-02,fundallocatedforNutritionProgramme
fell by 17.9 per cent. In 2003-04 the reason for the revised estimates being lower is the reduction in resource allocation
on schemes such as MCH Programme and Nutrition Programme by 31.4 per cent and 16.2 per cent respectively.
✦ The difference between revised estimates and budget estimates has been progressively narrowing since 2002-03 down
to 6.5% in 2004-05.
“The most distressing fact which emerges from the CAG Report is that despite an alarmingly high
Infant Mortality Rate of 71 per thousand live births in rural Andhra Pradesh,The Government saved
Rs.60.41 crores from its ‘Family Welfare’ programme between 1999-2004.While money was saved the
report reveals that the Government failed to reach its Infant Mortality target of 45.” – The Hindu,
April 4, 2005
“… About 79.8 per cent of the tribal children are anemic and only26 per cent of them have access
to vaccine in the State……. In non-tribal regions of the State, the Infant Mortality Rate is 62 infant
deaths for every 1000 live births while inTribal districts the IMR is 83 deaths….About 55 per cent of
the tribal children are underweight…Diarrhoea prevalence is about 19 per cent……. 126 children for
every 1000 children do not reach the age of five…” – Deccan Chronicle, September 2005
✦ Actual Expenditure has been less than budget estimates by 20.2 per cent in 2001-02 and by 43.1 per cent in 2002-03.
Maximum under-utilisation of budget resources in 2002-03 has been on Nutrition Programme. In 2002-03, the initial
budgetary allocation for the Nutrition programme was Rs 59068.2 lakhs, which after revision decreased to Rs 43540
lakhs and actual expenditure was Rs. 32663.9 lakhs with 44.7 per cent of initial provision remaining unutilised.
✦ TherevisedprovisionforRCHProgrammewasRs.3500lakhsin2002-03,whereasactualexpenditurewasnilamounting
to 100 per cent underutilization.
External Aid in Child Health Programmes
The quantum of external aid towards Child health programmes in Andhra Pradesh is given inTable 3.5
On an average, 2.8 per cent of total expenditure on child health was through external funding, RCH being totally externally
funded.
Table 3.4 | DIFFERENCE BETWEEN BE, RE AND AE IN HEALTH SECTOR OF BFC IN AP BUDGET
Year BE RE AE RE-BE AE-BE AE-RE
(C-B) (D-B) (D-C)
Number Per cent Number Per cent Number Per cent
2001-02 71479.8 58989.3 57035.1 -12490.5 -17.5 -14444.7 -20.2 -1954.2 -3.3
2002-03 60735.2 48705.3 34571.7 -12029.9 -19.8 -26163.5 -43.1 -14133.6 -29
2003-04 62586 53007.5 51895.8 -9578.5 -15.3 -10690.2 -17.1 -1111.7 -2.1
2004-05 68231.4 63805.6 NA -4425.8 -6.5 … … … …
2005-06 74178 NA NA … … … … … …
Sources: Detailed Demand For Grants (2002-03 to 2005-06)

39
Observations
✦ On an average 12.5 per cent of the total BfC inA.P is allocated and spent on health sector. But this share has decreased
over a period of time from a maximum in the first year of our analysis i.e. 2001-02 when it was 16.2 per cent and
decreased to 11.6 per cent in 2005-06.The actual expenditure has been less than the allocation in all the years.
✦ Of the total state budget an average of 3.7 per cent has been allocated to general health between 2001-02 to 2005-06
and an average of 1.5 per cent is on child health. Expenditure on child health as a percentage of the total state budget
reached its maximum in the financial year 2001-02 when it was 1.3 per cent of state budget but declined over the
subsequent five years.
There has been under-utilization of budgetary allocation as shown by actual expenditure being lower than budgetary allocation.
Some of the observations from CAG report for the year ended March 31, 2004 and the news media are reproduced below:
“…26% shortfall in the number of Primary Health Centres.
…Only 48 out of the required 554 Community Health Centre were operational— shortage amounted to 91%
…47% of the posts of Civil Surgeon in the rural areas remained unfilled
...Only 22 per cent (1580) doctors were posted in PHC s to serve 5.54 crores (73 per cent of the total population) of rural
population
Table 3.5 | SHARE OF EXTERNAL AID IN EXPENDITURE ON HEALTH SECTOR OF BFC IN AP BUDGET
Year External Aid in Expenditure Actual Expenditure on External Aid in Expenditure
on Child Health Child Health on Child Health
In Rs. Lakhs Per cent
2001-02 2555.30 57035.1 4.5
2002-03 0 34571.7 0
2003-04 2033.68 51895.8 3.9
Average 2.8
Sources: Detailed Demand For Grants (2002-03 to 2005-06) Ministry of Health and Family Welfare--Health, Medical and Family Welfare Department,Govt. of AP
Figure 3.3 | EXTERNAL AID IN EXPENDITURE ON CHILD HEALTH
(IN PERCENT)
2002-03 2003-042001-02
1.5
3
4.5
4.5
3.9
0
External Aid in Expenditure on Child Health (in per cent)
“ Though State Government
sanctioned establishment
of 188 new PHC s during
1999-2004, only 86 PHC
s were set up as of March
2004. The remaining were
not set up as Government’s
sanction for staff, equip-
ment and other infrastruc-
ture facilities was awaited as
of October, 2004…”
CAG Report for year ended
2004.,Chapter III-Performance Reviews,
Pg no-52

40
…Huge shortage (68 per cent) of health workers in sub-centres — as against 25044 health workers needed, only 8668 (35
per cent) were sanctioned and 8050 posts were operational as of 2004”. … CAG Report for the year ended 2004, Chapter
III-Performance Reviews, Pg no-48, 54
Conclusion
While the government of Andhra Pradesh has been allocating adequate funds for child health programmes a substantial part
of this budgetary allocation remains un-utilised.The answer is not just an increase in the allocation of additional funds, but
ensuring complete utilisation of allocated funds. If the executing departments are not able to utilise the allocated funds, there
is no point in allocating even more funds unless and until the reasons for this under-utlisation are identified and remedied.
There could be a number of reasons for under-utlisation or unutilisation of funds such as:
✦ Funds being released in the latter part of the year providing the executing departments very little time to utilise them;
✦ Sanctions for expenditure being delayed;

Budget for Children in Andhra Pradesh 2001-02 to-2005-06

Budget for Children in Andhra Pradesh 2001-02 to-2005-06

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Budget for Children in Andhra Pradesh 2001-02 to-2005-06