Govt Seeks Approval For Additional Spending For MGNREGA & Other Subsidies

New Delhi, Feb 6 (KNN) The government is seeking parliamentary approval for a significant increase in spending, totalling Rs 78,673 crore in the current financial year.

This allocation includes Rs 10,798 crore earmarked for the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA).

An additional spending of Rs 9,231 crore and Rs 3,000 crore is also proposed for food and fertilizer subsidies, respectively.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented the second batch of supplementary demands for grants for 2023-24 in Parliament on Monday.

The supplementary demands encompass a gross additional spending exceeding Rs 2 lakh crore, which is set to be balanced by savings of over Rs 1.21 lakh crore. As per the proposal, the net cash outflow is expected to aggregate to Rs 78,672.92 crore.

The Interim Budget for 2024-25 has outlined the government's total expenditure for the current financial year at Rs 44.90 lakh crore, reflecting a 7.1 per cent increase from the previous year.

Notable allocations include Rs 9,162 crore for defence services payments and Rs 3,890 crore for defence pensions.

Furthermore, allocations of Rs 5,000 crore have been designated for the Department of Economic Affairs to transfer to the Senior Citizen Welfare Fund.

Additionally, Rs 84.12 crore is allocated for establishment-related expenses of the Enforcement Directorate, attributed to heightened operational activities and the establishment of new offices.

(KNN Bureau)