Explore Business Standard
The Lok Sabha on Friday passed the second batch of supplementary demands for grants, allowing the government to spend an additional Rs 2.01 lakh crore in the current fiscal. Through the second batch of supplementary demands, the government sought Lok Sabha approval for spending a gross of Rs 2.81 lakh crore extra in the current fiscal year. With additional receipts of Rs 80,000 crore estimated for the current fiscal year in the supplementary, the net additional cash spending will be Rs 2.01 lakh crore. Despite the additional expenditure, the fiscal deficit for the current financial year (2025-26) will be within the Revised Estimates (RE), Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said while replying to the debate. The second batch of supplementary demands was passed by a voice vote in the Lok Sabha amid din. Opposition members were protesting over the availability of LPG in the country amid the ongoing West Asia crisis. The Lok Sabha was adjourned for the day after the passage of the ...
Maharashtra Chief Secretary Sujata Saunik has issued a directive to all departments mandating that any new proposals presented to the state cabinet must clearly outline the potential increase in expenditure beyond their allocated budget. The directive, issued on Friday, comes amid signs of the state's financial constraints. It has called for transparency in identifying the potential increases in expenditure for any new proposal, thus holding departments accountable for their financial commitments. The directive stresses that no proposals should be submitted to the cabinet without specifying how much the department's expenditure may exceed its original allocation. To rein in the unnecessary spending, departments have also been instructed to limit unproductive expenditure, consolidate redundant government schemes, and curb free-of-cost services wherever possible, an official said. The directive encourages reducing non-productive spending, merging redundant schemes and focusing on ..
The Union Budget 2025-26 has allocated Rs 1,024.30 crore for expenses incurred by the Council of Ministers, the Cabinet Secretariat and the Prime Minister's Office, and for hospitality and entertainment of state guests. The allocated amount is a bit more than the Rs 1,021.83 crore earmarked in 2024-25. In the Budget presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in Lok Sabha on Saturday, a total of Rs 619.04 crore has been allotted for the expenses of council of ministers in the coming fiscal. It was Rs 540.95 crore in 2024-25. This allocation is for expenditure on salaries, sumptuary and other allowances and travel by Cabinet ministers, ministers of state, and former prime ministers. It also includes a provision for special extra session flight operations for VVIPs. The National Security Council Secretariat has been allocated Rs 182.75 crore, against Rs 270.08 crore allotted in 2024-25. The provision is for meeting the administrative expenses and space programme of the Nationa