Parliament Authorises Manipur State Expenditure for Financial Year 2025-26

The Parliament of India enacted The Manipur Appropriation (No. 2) Act, 2025, which received presidential assent on August 18, 2025, and was subsequently published for general information on the same date. This legislative instrument, designated as Act No. 23 of 2025, serves to legally sanction the withdrawal and allocation of funds from the Consolidated Fund of the State of Manipur for the financial year 2025-26. The Act provides the necessary financial authority for the state government to meet its expenditure requirements across various departments and services. Specifically, the legislation authorises the payment and application of sums not exceeding a total of thirty thousand nine hundred sixty-nine crore forty-four lakh forty-seven thousand rupees (Rs. 30,969,44,47,000). These funds are earmarked for defraying the numerous charges that will arise during the financial year 2025-26, covering both expenditures "voted by Parliament" and those "charged on the Consolidated Fund" for services such as State Legislature, Council of Ministers, Police, Education, Medical, Health and Family Welfare Services, Public Works Department, and various other administrative and developmental sectors. The legislation provided: "From and out of the Consolidated Fund of the State of Manipur 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 thirty thousand nine hundred sixty-nine crore forty-four lakh forty-seven thousand rupees towards defraying the several charges which will come in course of payment during the financial year 2025-26 in respect of the services specified in column 2 of the Schedule." The Act further specifies that references to departments within the Schedule are to be construed as those existing immediately before March 1, 2025, and subsequently as references to the appropriate reconstituted departments.

The primary legislative intent behind The Manipur Appropriation (No. 2) Act, 2025, is to establish the requisite legal framework for the State of Manipur's financial administration for the upcoming fiscal year. This annual exercise is crucial for ensuring the continuity of government operations and the delivery of public services, as no money can be drawn from the Consolidated Fund without legislative sanction. The Act addresses the fundamental legal necessity of obtaining parliamentary approval for all state expenditures, thereby upholding principles of financial accountability and legislative oversight. Without such an Appropriation Act, the executive branch would lack the constitutional authority to spend public funds, which could lead to a paralysis of government functions and the inability to provide essential services. The legislation ensures that the state government has the necessary resources to fund its various schemes, salaries, infrastructure projects, and other essential services, ranging from law enforcement and public health to education and rural development, as detailed in the comprehensive Schedule appended to the Act. This mechanism prevents statutory gaps in financial authority, allowing for planned and regulated disbursement of funds. The Act does not introduce new substantive laws or amend existing policy frameworks but rather operationalises the financial provisions for the specified period, ensuring that the state's financial obligations and developmental goals can be met within the approved budgetary limits. The detailed schedule outlines the specific allocations for each department, distinguishing between revenue and capital expenditures, and between sums voted by Parliament and those charged on the Consolidated Fund, which typically include items like salaries of constitutional functionaries and debt servicing that do not require a vote.

Keywords: Manipur Appropriation Act, 2025, Consolidated Fund, State Expenditure, Financial Year 2025-26, Parliamentary Sanction, Government Finance, Budget Allocation Geo Tags: India, Manipur District: Not Applicable