For the first time, the government is likely to dip into the Oil Industry Development Fund (OIDF) to finance part of its fertiliser subsidy programme for 2025-26, according to official sources.
The finance ministry has accounted for ₹23,000 crore in the FY26 Budget as net additional resources to be drawn from dedicated reserve funds, including the OIDF, the Agriculture Infrastructure and Development Fund, and the Universal Service Obligation Fund.
Experts believe that while the government’s reliance on off-Budget borrowing has ended, accessing funds within the public account could help marginally reduce the fiscal deficit while maintaining transparency.
"The Oil Industry