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The government on Friday allocated Rs 4,500 crore (Rs 45 billion) to Social Justice and Empowerment Ministry for 2010-11, marking a substantial increase of 80 per cent over last year.

Announcing the hike in the ministry's outlay while presenting the budget in Lok Sabha, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee [ Images ] said this would help the social sector to focus more on the welfare of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward Classes, as well as the physically challenged.

The finance minister said the increased budgetary allocation would help the ministry in enhancing scholarship amount for students belonging to the backward classes.

"The allocation will allow the ministry to expand the various schemes it is running for the welfare of physically challenged and also for those belonging to SCs, STs and OBCs," Mukherjee said.