The Central government on Thursday sought Parliament’s approval for gross additional spending of Rs 1.32 lakh crore for the current fiscal year.
Of this, the net cash outgo — the amount requiring fresh funds from the Consolidated Fund of India — stood at Rs 41,455 crore, while the remaining Rs 90,812 crore will be met through savings and higher receipts within ministries.
The supplementary demands span 72 grants and one appropriation, reflecting higher-than-anticipated requirements across key sectors such as fertilisers, petroleum, home affairs, external affairs, higher education, and financial services.
Where does this request stem from?
A major share of the fresh spending requirement arises from the fertiliser subsidy, with the additional outlay amounting to Rs 18,525 crore for subsidy towards imported urea and P&K fertilisers (nutrient-based).
The government has also earmarked Rs 5,219 crore towards compensation to oil marketing companies for under recoveries in domestic LPG and other heads.
An amount of Rs 2,198 crore has been provided for a special rehabilitation and security package for Manipur, covering security-related expenditure, prepayment of old loans, rehabilitation of internally displaced persons, rebuilding of damaged houses, support to resettled communities, and deployment of Central Armed Police Forces.
MEA seeks Rs 542 crore
In the external sector, the Ministry of External Affairs has sought Rs 542 crore, including contributions to the Chabahar port project, aid to Mauritius, and assistance to Pacific Island countries. Additional allocations have also been sought for India’s missions abroad, evacuation-related expenses, and contributions to the United Nations.
The Ministry of Education requires Rs 1,303.72 crore, largely for strengthening higher education institutions, including funding for World Class Institutions, grants to deemed universities, and the rollout of the Pradhan Mantri One Nation One Subscription (PM-ONOS) scheme.
Home Affairs, too, features prominently, with over Rs 800 crore sought for census activities, police forces, and intelligence operations. The Census organisation alone requires more than Rs 400 crore for salaries, travel, publicity, and operational needs.