Lok Sabha approves ₹2.81 trillion

The Lok Sabha on Friday passed the second batch of supplementary demands for grants, allowing the government to spend an additional Rs 2.01 trillion in the current fiscal year.

Through the second batch of supplementary demands, the government sought Lok Sabha’s approval to spend a total of additional Rs 2.81 trillion in the current financial year. With additional receipts of Rs 80,000 crore estimated for the current financial year in the supplement, the net additional cash outlay will be Rs 2.01 trillion.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, responding to the debate, said that despite additional expenditure, the fiscal deficit for the current financial year (2025-26) will remain within the Revised Estimate (RE).

The second batch of supplementary demands was passed by voice vote in the Lok Sabha amid much fanfare. Amid the ongoing crisis in West Asia, opposition members were protesting over the availability of LPG in the country.

After the passing of the supplementary demands, the Lok Sabha was adjourned for the day.

In RE 2025-26, the fiscal deficit is estimated at 4.4 per cent of GDP, equal to the budget estimate for 2025-26.

Amid sustained sloganeering by opposition members over LPG shortage concerns, Sitharaman said, “There is no increase in expenditure beyond the Budget Estimates for 2025-26 due to the second supplement.”

In the revised estimates for the current fiscal year, the government had reduced the total expenditure to Rs 49.65 trillion from Rs 50.65 trillion in the budget estimate.

According to data from the Controller General of Accounts (CGA), till January the government had spent Rs 36.90 trillion.