The Lok Sabha on Tuesday approved the second batch of supplementary demand for grants involving gross additional expenditure of ₹2.7-lakh crore including net cash outgo of ₹1.48-lakh crore. 

The relevant appropriation Bill moved by the Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary was also passed by the Lower House. 

It maybe recalled that in December last year, Parliament had approved the first batch of supplementary demands for grants permitting the government net additional spending of over ₹3.25-lakh crore, which included over ₹1.09-lakh crore towards fertilizer subsidy payout.

The net cash outgo of ₹1.48-lakh crore in the second batch of supplementary demand for grants primarily covers about ₹36,000 crore towards fertilizer subsidy; additional expenditure of ₹33,718 crore towards Defence Pension; additional transfer of ₹25,000 crore towards Universal Service Obligation Fund (USOF) and additional transfer of about ₹33,000 crore to GST compensation fund. 

Budget for J&K

On Tuesday, the Lower House also separately approved the Budget for the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir for 2023-24 and the relevant appropriation Bill. Also, the supplementary demands of grants for the Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir for the financial year 2022-23 was passed.