Haryana Legislature Authorizes Supplementary Expenditure for Current Financial Year

The Haryana Appropriation (No. 5) Act, 2023, designated as Haryana Act No. 1 of 2024, was formally published in the Haryana Government Gazette on January 1, 2024, following its assent by the Governor of Haryana on December 28, 2023. This legislative instrument, an Act of the State Legislature, was enacted to authorize the payment and appropriation of specific additional sums from the Consolidated Fund of the State of Haryana. The primary objective was to meet the financial requirements for various government services during the financial year concluding on March 31, 2024. The Act specifies that a net supplementary amount of 1290,07,09,133/- (One Thousand Two Hundred Ninety Crore Seven Lakh Nine Thousand One Hundred Thirty Three rupees only) is to be paid and applied from the state's Consolidated Fund (the principal government account where all revenues are deposited and from which all expenditures are made). These funds are earmarked for defraying charges across numerous services as detailed in the Act's Schedule, affecting departments such as General Administration, Revenue and Disaster Management, Home, Finance, Agriculture, Education, Labour, Public Works, Energy, and Urban Development. The legislation ensures that the sums authorized are specifically appropriated for the services and purposes outlined for the current financial year.

The legislative intent behind the Haryana Appropriation (No. 5) Act, 2023, is to address the need for additional financial resources beyond the initial budget allocations for the ongoing fiscal year. This supplementary appropriation is crucial for maintaining the continuity and effective functioning of essential government services and for funding various projects that require further financial provision. The Act serves to regularize and provide legal sanction for expenditure that was not initially accounted for in the annual budget, thereby ensuring fiscal discipline and transparency. The legislation provided: “From and out of the Consolidated Fund of the State of Haryana, there may be paid and applied sums not exceeding those specified in column 11 of the Schedule appended to this Act, amounting in the aggregate to the sum of 1290,07,09,133/- (One Thousand Two Hundred Ninety Crore Seven Lakh Nine Thousand One Hundred Thirty Three rupees only) towards defraying the several charges which will come in the course of payment during the financial year 2023-24 ending on the thirty-first day of March, 2024, in respect of the services specified in column 2 of the said Schedule.” This mechanism allows the state government to respond to unforeseen financial needs or to bolster funding for critical sectors. For instance, the Schedule details significant allocations for Crop Husbandry, General Education, Social Security and Welfare, Capital Outlay on Public Works, and Power, indicating a focus on agriculture, social services, infrastructure development, and energy. The Act, therefore, fills potential statutory gaps in funding, ensuring that government departments can meet their financial obligations and continue to deliver public services without interruption until the close of the financial year.

Keywords: Haryana Appropriation Act, Supplementary Budget, State Legislature, Consolidated Fund, Financial Year 2023-24, Government Expenditure, Haryana Act No. 1 of 2024, Public Finance, State Services, Fiscal Management

Geo Tags: India, Haryana District: Not Applicable