Intro: Passed by the Lok Sabha, the Money Bill completed its legislative journey through the Rajya Sabha.
New Delhi
Parliament on Thursday passed the Appropriation (No. 3) Bill, 2026, authorising the withdrawal of funds from the Consolidated Fund of India to regularise excess expenditure incurred by the Central Government during the 2022-23 financial year.
The Bill provides parliamentary approval for government spending that exceeded the amounts originally sanctioned for various services during the financial year ending March 31, 2023. As a Money Bill, its passage in the Rajya Sabha completed the required legislative process after it had earlier been approved by the Lok Sabha.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, while replying to the debate, said the legislation seeks approval for excess grants amounting to about ₹54,067 crore. The expenditure relates to amounts spent beyond the original budgetary allocations and requires parliamentary authorisation under constitutional provisions governing public finances.
The government stated that the excess expenditure primarily covers obligations including payments related to the Railway Ministry and debt servicing, which had exceeded the approved allocations during FY23. The Bill enables these expenditures to be formally charged to the Consolidated Fund of India after scrutiny by Parliament.
Appropriation Bills are a constitutional requirement that authorise the government to withdraw money from the Consolidated Fund of India for specified purposes. In cases where actual expenditure exceeds the amount originally approved by Parliament, the government must obtain approval through an excess grant and a corresponding appropriation bill.
With Parliament’s approval, the excess expenditure for the 2022-23 fiscal year now stands regularised in accordance with constitutional and financial procedures.
Bill provides parliamentary
- Sitharaman sought excess grants approval.
- Amount totals about fifty four thousand crores.
- Expenditure covers FY twenty three obligations.
- Payments involve railways and debt servicing.