NEW DELHI: Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Monday sought Parliament’s approval for a gross additional expenditure of nearly Rs 2 lakh crore for the fiscal year 2023-24.
Out of the outlay, there will be a net cash outgo of Rs 78,673 crore second and final batch of Supplementary Demands for Grants. The key areas of spending include the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS). which has been allotted a total expenditure of Rs 10,798 crore, food subsidy to Food Corp of India and Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Ann Yojana (Rs 9,231 crore), fertilizer subsidy at Rs 3,000 crore).
“Of this, the proposals involving net cash outgo aggregate to Rs 78,672.92 crore and gross additional expenditure, matched by savings of the ministries/departments or by enhanced receipts/recoveries aggregates to Rs 1,21,625.40 crore,” it said.
Defence services and defence pension have been allocated Rs 9,162 crore and Rs 3,890 crore, respectively. Expenditure of Rs 5,000 crore has been earmarked for the department of economic affairs for transfer to the Senior Citizen Welfare Fund. In addition, outlay towards higher education, particularly transfers to ‘Madhyamik and Uchchatar Shiksha Kosh’ stand at Rs 12,500 crore.
The second batch includes 71 grants and one appropriation. The Parliament was asked to authorize a gross additional expenditure of Rs 2,00,299.54 crore.
The net cash outgo amounts to Rs 78,672.92 crore, while savings or enhanced receipts cover the rest, totalling Rs 1,21,625.40 crore. A token amount of Rs 122 lakh, with Rs 1 lakh for each expenditure item, has been allocated for possible re-appropriation.
In December 2023, the first batch of supplementary demand for grants sought approval for 79 grants and four appropriations, resulting in a net outgo of Rs 58,378 crore from the gross additional spend of Rs 1.29 lakh crore.