Parliament Authorises Further Expenditure from Consolidated Fund for Financial Year 2023-24

The Parliament of India enacted The Appropriation Act, 2024, which received the assent of the President on February 15, 2024, and was subsequently published for general information on the same date. This Act, designated as No. 10 of 2024, serves to legally authorise the payment and appropriation of specific additional sums from the Consolidated Fund of India. Its primary purpose is to meet the financial requirements for various government services during the ongoing financial year 2023-24. The legislation came into force upon its publication in the Official Gazette.

Under the provisions of this Act, a substantial sum amounting to two lakh two hundred ninety-nine crore and fifty-four lakh rupees (Rs. 200299,54,00,000) has been sanctioned for withdrawal from the Consolidated Fund of India. These funds are earmarked to defray numerous charges that are anticipated to arise during the financial year 2023-24. The Act specifies that these amounts are to be applied towards the services detailed in a comprehensive Schedule appended to the legislation. This Schedule outlines both revenue and capital expenditures across a wide array of government departments and ministries, including the Department of Agriculture, Atomic Energy, Ministry of AYUSH, Ministry of Defence, Department of Rural Development, and many others, ensuring that financial resources are allocated to their designated purposes.

The legislative intent behind the Appropriation Act, 2024, is to provide the necessary legal sanction for the Union Government to incur additional expenditure beyond what was initially budgeted for the financial year 2023-24. This mechanism is crucial for parliamentary control over public finance, as Article 114 of the Constitution of India mandates that no money shall be withdrawn from the Consolidated Fund of India except under appropriation made by law. The Act addresses the need for "further sums," indicating supplementary financial requirements that may have arisen due to unforeseen circumstances, increased operational costs, or new policy initiatives since the presentation of the main budget. The legislation ensures that essential government services and ongoing projects continue to receive funding without interruption, thereby maintaining administrative and developmental continuity. The legislation provided: “From and out of the Consolidated Fund of India there may be paid and applied sums not exceeding those specified in column 3 of the Schedule amounting in the aggregate to the sum of two lakh two hundred ninety-nine crore and fifty-four lakh only towards defraying the several charges which will come in course of payment during the financial year 2023-24 in respect of the services specified in column 2 of the Schedule.” This provision is central to the Act, empowering the executive to draw funds for specified purposes. By authorising these additional funds, the Act fills potential statutory gaps in financial allocations, allowing various ministries and departments to meet their obligations and implement their programs effectively for the remainder of the financial year.

Keywords: Appropriation Act, Consolidated Fund of India, Parliamentary approval, Government expenditure, Financial year 2023-24, Supplementary budget, Public finance, Legislative sanction, India Geo Tags: India, Not Applicable District: Not Applicable