The Telecom Ministry has sought a planned Budget outlay of Rs. 18,214.32 crore for the financial year 2016-17, an increase of over 250 per cent year-on-year.
The major chunk of demand of Rs. 8,230 crore comes for implementation of defence service network. The project, approved in 2009, looks to build an exclusive dedicated alternate communication network for defence services so that the military can free the spectrum for offering mobile services. For this year (2015-16), the approved revised estimate for the same stood at Rs 2,220 crore.
The proposal has also sought to nearly double allocation for Universal Obligation Fund which aims to augment the infrastructure and increase telecom coverage in the rural and remote areas.
The department has sought Rs.7,350 crore against approved revised estimate of Rs. 3,100 crore.
The funds allotted under this head would also be utilised for laying optical fibre under the department’s flagship National Optical Fibre Network programme.
For the current fiscal, the approved planned outlay for the telecom department was Rs.5,199.95 crore. The approved revised estimate was slightly higher at Rs.5,794.96 crore as against a revised estimate projection of Rs.13,686.93.
The actual expenditure by the department up to December 2015 for the financial year stood at Rs.3,053.57 crore.
