The Hindu Business Line : Supplementary demands for Rs 5,063 cr introduced in LS

THE first batch of supplementary demands for grants for the current fiscal involving 56 grants and one appropriation with a net cash outgo amounting to Rs 5,063.06 crore has been introduced in the Lok Sabha today by the Union Finance Minister, Mr P. Chidambaram.

Though the overall authorisation amounted to Rs 38,621.77 crore, the proposals involving net cash outgo aggregated Rs 5,063.06 crore as the gross additional expenditure was matched by savings of the ministries and departments concerned or by enhanced recoveries/receipts aggregating Rs 33,558.23 crore.

Earlier in the Mid-Year Review of the Economy it was stated that the supplementary demands for grants, separately being introduced today, are not likely to increase the fiscal deficit and the revenue deficit as matching savings in expenditure in normal course are expected to neutralise their effect.

Out of the Rs 5,063.06 crore net cash outgo for the exchequer, a substantial portion of Rs 1,008 crore under non-Plan head is sought for provision for transfers to Universal Service Obligation Fund (Rs 1,000 crore) and transfers to the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India General Fund (Rs 8 crore).

Rs 300 crore is sought by the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilisers for meeting expenditure on account of exchange loss (Rs 299 crore) and establishment expenditure of Welfare Commissioner for Bhopal Gas Tragedy victim (Rs 1 crore).

One demand amounting to Rs 254.87 crore was sought by the Ministry of Finance for payments to financial institutions for transfer of equity (face value Rs 150 crore) at book value of Rs 254.87 crore held by the RBI in Infrastructure Development Finance Company (IDFC). Another demand pertains to meeting additional expenditure due to merger of 50 per cent dearness allowance with pay amounting to Rs 300 crore.

Under Plan head, the proposed demand by the Ministry of Human Resource Development relates to Rs 1,676.30 crore for grants under the scheme `Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan' and Rs 323.70 crore for grants under the same programme for the benefit of North-eastern region and Sikkim.

For the Ministry of Rural Development, a sum of Rs 400 crore is sought for meeting additional expenditure of Indira Awas Yojana in Bihar under Rural Housing and for meeting additional expenditure of Delhi Metro Rail Corporation Ltd, a sum of Rs 500 crore is sought by the Ministry of Urban Development.