Sambit Patra

Now that farewell speeches are done, I return back to this tweet from Hon. FinMin’s office handle, in which is a video clip of her reply to me in the Rajya Sabha regarding my 3 minute intervention when Ma’m wasn’t present in the House. Firstly, I am grateful for her detailed reply. However, I can’t help saying that it is unfortunate a senior minister like her good self, who has steered the Budget debate over the years is misleading the house in her reply to me. Hon. Minister I haven’t stated anything incorrect when I said time spent discussing the Appropriation Bill was a mere 3 minute in the Lok Sabha. I am astonished that you were astonished to hear the truth. Hence, it is unfortunate that in your reply you have clubbed the discussion on demand of grants along with appropriation bill. Mam as you are very well aware, Demand for grants discussion is related to certain specific ministries whereas appropriation bill concerns appropriating ₹2,81,289 crore from Consolidated Fund of India into various arms of ministries besides those discussed for over 5 hours in the Lok Sabha. A discussion on Appropriation Bill in the Lok Sabha would have allowed MPs to scrutinise and question the funds to other ministries besides the ones discussed namely- Demands for Grants for the ministries of Railways, Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare. However the application of guillotine has become a regular budget feature over the years to bypass scrutiny & usually 5 ministries that are approved in the BAC are also usually not even those 5 end up being discussed. On Wednesday the Lok Sabha passed the Demands for Grants of various ministries for 2026-27, approving an expenditure of over 253 lakh crore. The House passed the Demands for Grants by applying the guillotine. Respected Ma’m, Applying the guillotine means that the Demands for Grants for the ministries, on which it is being applied, are considered approved without discussion. Hence Mam the appropriation bill would have been the best opportunity for members to scrutinise instead of 3 minutes it took. Also Hon.Minister, here are some more problematic facts for you to deliberate upon. In 2025, about 90% of the total budgeted expenditure was passed without discussion in the Lok Sabha. In 2023, The expenditure of five Ministries (amounting to Rs 11 lakh crore) was listed for discussion in Lok Sabha; however, none were discussed. The proposed expenditure of all Ministries, amounting to Rs 42 lakh crore, was passed without any discussion. In 2019: In the Rajya Sabha, only one out of the four ministries listed was discussed (Ministry of AYUSH). In 2018: The entire expenditure was guillotined, i.e. passed without discussion. Once again, Thank you for your kind attention to this matter.