CBI gets nominal hike of 2.79 per cent in Budget 2018 with allocation of Rs 698.38 crore

New Delhi: The country’s premier investigation agency CBI has been allocated Rs 698.38 crore in the Budget for 2018-19, a marginal increase of 2.79 percent compared to the ongoing fiscal. [caption id=“attachment_4329447” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Representational image. AFP[/caption] In the last five budgets, this is the lowest hike announced for the agency which is probing several high-profile cases and grappling with over-stretched resources. The CBI has been allocated Rs 698.38 crore by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley in the Budget presented on Thursday which is Rs 19.01 crore or a little over 2.79 percent higher compared to the revised estimates of Rs 679.37 crore for 2017-18. “The provision is for establishment-related expenditure of the Central Bureau of Investigation which is entrusted with investigation and prosecution in corruption cases against public servants, private persons, firms and other cases of serious crimes,” the budget document said. It said the funds also include provision for various projects such as CBI e-governance, modernisation of training centre, establishment of technical and forensic support units, construction of office/residence complexes for CBI branches, comprehensive modernisation of the agency’s branches/offices. In the budget for 2017-18, the finance minister had announced an increase of 8.31 percent as compared to revised estimates of previous fiscal. In the budgetary announcements for 2016-17, the CBI got nearly 32 percent increase in funds, in 2015-16, 10 percent increase, in 2014-15 the increase was nearly 17 percent as compared to revised estimates for corresponding previous years.