Parliament met for the 13th sitting of the Budget Session today.
Rajya Sabha further discussed the General Budget.
Lok Sabha undertook a discussion on the Demands for Grants of the
Ministry of Road Transport and Highways and Ministry of Social Justice
and Empowerment, after which the entire Demands for Grants for 2014-15
were passed.
Demands for Grants are the detailed estimates given by different
Ministries regarding their expenditures for the financial year. These
are discussed and voted upon in the Lok Sabha. Demands which have not
been voted on by the last day fixed for the purpose are ‘guillotined’,
i.e. they are voted upon together, without discussion.
The total Demands for Grants for 2014-2015 are for 14,52,312 crores. This
year, the Demands of four Ministries, namely- Environment and Forests,
Water Resources, Road Transport and Highways, and Social Justice and
Empowerment, were discussed. The Demands for these Ministries add
upto 81,405 crores.
This year, 94.3% of the total Demands for Grants were passed without
discussion. In 2013-14, 100% of the Demands for Grants were passed
without discussion. In the last decade, the most Demands for Grants were
discussed in 2008-2009, when 63% of the Demands were passed without
discussion.
