Overview
- Rajya Sabha approved the package by voice vote on Tuesday after the Lok Sabha passed it on Monday, completing parliamentary authorization.
- Total gross additional expenditure stands at Rs 1.32 lakh crore, offset by Rs 90,812 crore in reported savings to yield a net cash outgo of Rs 41,455.39 crore.
- Fertiliser-related subsidies account for Rs 18,525 crore of the outlay, with about Rs 9,500 crore earmarked to compensate oil marketing companies for under-recoveries.
- Other allocations include Rs 1,304 crore for the Department of Higher Education and Rs 225 crore for the Commerce Ministry.
- Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman defended using limited supplementary demands, and Minister of State Pankaj Chaudhary said there is no urea shortage as he reiterated a focus on fiscal consolidation.