Government Tables ₹2.81 Lakh Crore Supplementary Spending Plan in Lok Sabha

The Union government on Tuesday sought the Lok Sabha’s approval for gross additional expenditure of over Rs 2.81 lakh crore in the current financial year , presenting the second batch of Supplementary Demands for Grants in Parliament .

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman tabled the proposal in the Lok Sabha, seeking Parliament’s authorisation to incur expenditure beyond the allocations made in the Union Budget for the ongoing fiscal year. The move is aimed at meeting higher spending requirements of various ministries and departments .

According to the document placed before the House, the government has sought approval to authorise gross additional expenditure of Rs 2,81,289.26 crore. Supplementary Demands for Grants are usually presented during the financial year when ministries require additional funds for schemes, subsidies or administrative expenditure not fully covered in the original budget estimates. The constitutional basis for such additional spending is provided under Article 115 of the Constitution of India, which empowers the government to present supplementary, additional or excess demands for grants before Parliament if the amount authorised in the annual budget is found to be insufficient or if new services require expenditure. These demands must be approved by the Lok Sabha, after which an Appropriation Bill is passed to legally authorise the withdrawal of funds from the Consolidated Fund of India.

Of the total proposed expenditure, Rs 2,01,142.96 crore represents net cash outgo , which will require fresh spending by the government. The remaining Rs 80,145.71 crore will be financed through savings of various ministries and departments or through enhanced receipts and recoveries , thereby reducing the need for additional cash outflow.

The additional expenditure is expected to support several key sectors including food and fertiliser subsidies , defence commitments , pensions , interest payments and allocations for centrally sponsored schemes . Some provisions are also meant to meet higher spending requirements in agriculture , rural development and other social welfare programmes .

Officials indicated that such supplementary allocations are necessary to ensure the uninterrupted implementation of government programmes and to meet unforeseen financial requirements that arise during the course of the financial year.

The supplementary demands have been tabled in the Lok Sabha and will now be taken up for discussion and voting in Parliament . Once approved, the government will introduce the appropriation bill to legally authorise the additional expenditure during the current fiscal year.