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Page 52 - Nirmala Sitharaman

Budget 2024: Sitharaman's Budget cuts subsidy bill by 7.8% to Rs 3.81 trn

In a move that signals fiscal prudence, the government reduced its subsidy outlay for food, fertiliser, and fuel by 7.8 per cent in the full Budget for 2024-25, presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday. The total subsidy allocation stands at Rs 3,81,175 crore for the current fiscal, down from the previous year's figure of Rs 4,13,466 crore. This reduction aligns with the estimates projected in February's interim budget. Breaking down the allocations, the food subsidy has been set at Rs 2,05,250 crore, a decrease from the revised estimates of Rs 2,12,332 crore for the fiscal ending March 31, 2024. This subsidy covers the difference between the economic cost of foodgrains procured by the government and their sales realisation under the National Food Security Act (NFSA) and other welfare schemes, benefiting approximately 80 crore individuals. The fertiliser subsidy has seen a more significant cut, with Rs 1,64,000 crore earmarked for 2024-25 against

Updated On : 23 Jul 2024 | 5:36 PM IST

Census, NPR unlikely in 2024 too as only Rs 1,309.46 cr allocated in Budget

The Budget 2024-24 on Tuesday allocated Rs 1,309.46 crore for census, a significant reduction from 2021-22 when Rs 3,768 crore was allocated for the decadal exercise, an indication that it may not be carried out even after a significant delay. A meeting of the Union cabinet on December 24, 2019 had approved the proposal for conducting census of India 2021 at a cost of Rs 8,754.23 crore and updating the National Population Register (NPR) at a cost of Rs 3,941.35 crore. The house listing phase of the census and the exercise to update the NPR were scheduled to be carried out across the country from April 1 to September 30, 2020 but were postponed due to the COVID-19 outbreak. The census operation continues to be on hold and the government has not yet announced the new schedule. Officials said since general elections had taken place this year, the census exercise will not be able to be carried out in 2024. According to the Budget 2024-25, Rs 1,309.46 crore has been allocated for censu