NEW DELHI: The Lok Sabha on Tuesday approved additional government spending of Rs 51,463 crore for the current financial year and passed the Manipur Budget for 2025-26.
The decision was taken as part of the second batch of supplementary demands for grants, which also included provisions for debt repayment and financial aid to Manipur, currently under President’s Rule.
Additional spending and debt repayment
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman tabled the second batch of supplementary demands for grants, which entails an overall additional spending of Rs 6.78 lakh crore. Of this, Rs 6.27 lakh crore will be covered through savings and receipts, bringing the net additional spending to Rs 51,462.86 crore.
A major portion—Rs 5.54 lakh crore—is earmarked for repaying high-cost debt. “Essentially, we are removing the high-cost debt from our shoulders by advance redemptions in those debts,” Sitharaman said, adding that this has contributed to lowering the government’s borrowing rates.
Manipur Budget and financial support
The House also passed demands for excess grants worth Rs 1,291 crore for the 2021-22 fiscal and an additional Rs 1,861 crore for Manipur’s 2024-25 budget. Sitharaman highlighted that the total receipts for Manipur stand at Rs 35,368 crore, while the estimated expenditure is Rs 35,104 crore.
The state’s own tax revenue is projected at Rs 2,634 crore, with non-tax revenue at Rs 400 crore. The Vote on Account sought approval for Rs 17,947 crore to cover expenses for the next six months. Additionally, a Rs 500 crore contingency fund has been created for Manipur.
“Similar to the way in which we have helped J&K, we are providing all the financial assistance to support faster recovery of the economy of Manipur,” Sitharaman said.
