Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, while presenting the Union Budget 2023-24 on Wednesday allocated Rs 90.14 crore for the President’s office and other expenses, a jump of Rs 5.34 crore from Rs 84.8 crore allocated in the previous Budget.
The Budget document shows that a total of Rs 36.22 crore has been allocated for the President’s household expenditure, including staff salaries, a sharp drop of Rs 10 crore, about 27 per cent, from the revised estimates of the current fiscal. In the last budget, Rs 41.68 crore was allocated for household establishment, which was increased to Rs 46.27 crore, according to revised estimates for fiscal year 2023.
Of the total allocation, Rs 60 lakh has been earmarked for the salary and allowances of the President, and Rs 53.32 crore is for the President’s Secretariat, which has seen an increase from Rs 37.93 crore in the last budget to Rs 53.32 crore, the Budget document showed.
The Union Budget 2023-24 was laid before the Parliament by Sitharaman, who listed seven priorities, which she called as ‘Saptarishi’, to guide the country through the Amrit Kaal, the 25-year journey towards its centenary as a modern nation.
The seven priorities are Inclusive Development; Reaching the Last Mile; Infrastructure and Investment; Unleashing the Potential; Green Growth; Youth Power; and Financial Sector.
The finance minister said that the Indian economy is on the right track, and despite challenges, the nation is heading towards a bright future.