The Union Budget 2021-2022 presented by the Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on 1st February 2021 proposed an outlay of Rs 2.23 lakh crore towards health and well-being. The Finance Minister claimed a 137 per cent increase over from last year. 

However, the Right to Food Campaign activists who work with the poor who depend on these nutrition programmes and public health systems said that there have been cuts in the health and nutrition programmes this year despite the growing hunger situation in the country. 

To understand more about the budgetary allocations, Kunika Balhotra, Research and Communications for Suno India spoke with Jean Dreze and Dr Vandana Prasad. 

Dreze is a developmental economist and a visiting professor of Economics at Ranchi University. Dr Prasad is a community pediatrician and public health professional. She is the Joint Convenor of Jan Swasthya Abhiyan and a member of the Steering Committee of the Right to Food Campaign.

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