All posts tagged: expenditure

State borrowings must focus on asset creation, not just revenue expenditure: FM Nirmala Sitharaman

State borrowings must focus on asset creation, not just revenue expenditure: FM Nirmala Sitharaman

Published by Parlour News

Union Minister Nirmala Sitharaman graces the unveiling ceremony of the new book, titled ‘Daughters of Kanchi – The SSKV Story’, on the 120th anniversary of the SSKV Group at SSKV College of Arts & Science for Women in Kilambi, Kanchipuram, on Thursday (June 25, 2026). Photo Credit: X@nsitharamanoffc Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Thursday (June 25, 2026) emphasised that State governments must channel their borrowed funds into long-term capital expenditure, such as schools and hospitals, rather than relying heavily on revenue expenditure like cash distributions when financial resources are tight. Addressing the media, Ms. Sitharaman underscored that taking loans to create public infrastructure yields a positive economic impact and generates employment for the next 50 to 60 years. “Borrowing is not the issue, but what you do with the borrowed money matters. Are you creating assets? Is it bringing education, industries, or increasing employment? That should be the focus,” she said, noting that states are permitted to borrow up to 3% of their Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP). Ms. Sitharaman, who is on a …

Kerala Budget 2026: Despite white paper warning, no plan to cut committed expenditure

Kerala Budget 2026: Despite white paper warning, no plan to cut committed expenditure

Published by Parlour News

After releasing the “Kerala’s Fiscal Health — A Status Report” (white paper), which raised serious concerns over the State’s rising debt burden while strongly criticising the previous Left government for alleged fiscal mismanagement, the new United Democratic Front (UDF) government on Thursday presented its maiden budget. The budget estimates the debt-to-GSDP ratio to come down marginally to 33.5% in 2026-27, compared with 34.87% (actuals, 2024-25) or 34.26% (revised estimates, 2025-26). This is not because debt is expected to fall — the budget in fact projects total outstanding debt to rise 11.6%, from ₹4.89 lakh crore to ₹5.46 lakh crore — but because of its optimistic outlook that GSDP would grow nominally by 14.15% and revenue receipts by 23.8%. Even if the government’s optimistic projections come true, Kerala will indisputably remain among the States with the highest debt burden. As per the Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) data, the debt-to-GSDP ratio for all States combined stood at 27.01% in 2024-25. The chart below shows the ten States with the highest debt-to-GSDP ratio in 2024-25. However, a …

Fiscal stress a reality, focus to stay on capex: Expenditure Secretary | Business News

Fiscal stress a reality, focus to stay on capex: Expenditure Secretary | Business News

Published by Parlour News

3 min readNew DelhiMay 2, 2026 05:28 AM IST Fiscal stress is “very much a reality” and there could be lots of stress points going ahead amid the ongoing West Asia conflict, but the government is focused on spending on priority sectors and capital expenditure, which will continue to be at the budgeted level of Rs 12.2 lakh crore, Expenditure Secretary Vumlunmang Vualnam said on Friday. Stating that the LPG crisis has been a “challenging situation” with India importing about 60% of its requirement, of which 90% comes through Strait of Hormuz that has been impacted by the disturbance, Vualnam said the government has been proactive in tackling these situations. However, there are also “systemic constraints” where one cannot really tackle off or wipe away all the impacts which are there, the Secretary said. For instance, beyond LPG, the cut in excise duties will also have a fiscal impact, he said. “So, the fiscal stress is indeed very much a reality. But at the same time, the priority sectors, for example, the capex could really …

Curb unauthorised expenditure on projects, Railways directs officials

Curb unauthorised expenditure on projects, Railways directs officials

Published by Parlour News

The Union Government had put various restrictions/limits on the Ministry of Railways for sanctioning estimates in respect of variation, cost etc. File | Photo Credit: The Hindu Expressing serious concern over the increasing instances of unauthorised expenditure running to thousands of crores of rupees, the Indian Railways has called for urgent measures to enforce financial discipline in the system. The Railway Board has directed General Managers of all Zonal Railways, Production Units and others to initiate effective measures to curb the practice of incurring unsanctioned expenses in the execution of projects and subsequently getting the same approved by the competent authority. Pointing out the cases of unauthorised expenditure had increased in the recent past, the note said the Comptroller and Auditor General of India had highlighted the issue in various audit reports and the matter had now been taken up by Public Accounts Committee (PAC) for Review. Practice lacked financial propriety “If expenditure is incurred beyond the sanctioned cost and the estimate is put up for approval on post facto basis, scrutiny of estimate by …

7 high-speed rail corridors; ₹277830 crore for capital expenditure| India News

7 high-speed rail corridors; ₹277830 crore for capital expenditure| India News

Published by Parlour News

Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Sunday announced seven high-speed rail corridors and ₹2,77,830 crore to the ministry of railways for capital expenditure in 2026-27″>allocated ₹2,77,830 crore to the ministry of railways for capital expenditure in 2026-27, up from ₹2,52,000 crore in 2025-26. The high-speed rail corridors seek to promote environmentally sustainable passenger systems. (PTI) “…to promote environmentally sustainable passenger systems, we will develop seven high-speed rail corridors between cities as growth connectors… Mumbai to Pune, Pune to Hyderabad, Hyderabad to Bengaluru, Hyderabad to Chennai, Chennai to Bengaluru, Delhi to Varanasi, Varanasi to Siliguri,” she said in her budget speech. She announced a new dedicated freight corridor between Dankuni in West Bengal and Surat in Gujarat to promote environmentally sustainable movement of cargo. Work on one high-speed corridor between Ahmedabad and Mumbai is in progress. Two dedicated freight corridors, Eastern and Western, are operational. Railways minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said that there is a lot of focus on safety. “ ₹1,20,000 crores will be invested in safety. 95% accidents have been reduced, there is more focus …

Many states in difficulty due to freebies, high committed expenditure, says FM Sitharaman | India News

Many states in difficulty due to freebies, high committed expenditure, says FM Sitharaman | India News

Published by Parlour News

Stating that there is a thin line between investing money in productive assets and giving freebies, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Tuesday said many states are “in difficulty” as such giveaways are piling up. Posing questions about states’ finances, she asked if there is no way to rationalise committed expenditure of states, especially if they are beyond affordable limits. “Many states are in difficulty because these are piling up. I am not naming anybody, any state. But there are states which have, and I am afraid to say this, 70 per cent of their revenues going for committed expenditure. When I say committed, it’s salaries, pensions, they have to give it. I am not saying don’t give. But 70 per cent? With 30 per cent, what else will you do? Especially in a growth phase when so much has to be done for keeping the buoyancy of the economy. And what for is this 70 per cent? Do you need that many people? Is there no way in which we can rationalise? Will companies run …

Nirmala Sitharaman hits out at Cong’s Chidambaram over capital expenditure: ‘Flawed comparisons’ | Latest News India

Nirmala Sitharaman hits out at Cong’s Chidambaram over capital expenditure: ‘Flawed comparisons’ | Latest News India

Published by Parlour News

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Tuesday hit out at Congress MP and former Union minister P Chidambaram over his claims of a “cut” in capital expenditure, calling them “misleading” and based on “flawed comparisons.” She asserted that rather than being reduced, capital expenditure has increased to ₹11.21 lakh crore for the 2025-26 fiscal year. ₹92,682 crore (Capex BE over RE) and ₹90,887 crore (SASCI BE over RE) for FY25. ” title=”Sitharaman was responding to Chidambaram’s social media post, where he stated that the government had cut ₹92,682 crore (Capex BE over RE) and ₹90,887 crore (SASCI BE over RE) for FY25. ” /> ₹92,682 crore (Capex BE over RE) and ₹90,887 crore (SASCI BE over RE) for FY25. ” title=”Sitharaman was responding to Chidambaram’s social media post, where he stated that the government had cut ₹92,682 crore (Capex BE over RE) and ₹90,887 crore (SASCI BE over RE) for FY25. ” />Sitharaman was responding to Chidambaram’s social media post, where he stated that the government had cut ₹92,682 crore (Capex BE over RE) and …

Capital expenditure not cut, rises to Rs 11.21 lakh crore for FY26: Sitharaman

Capital expenditure not cut, rises to Rs 11.21 lakh crore for FY26: Sitharaman

Published by Webster

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Tuesday said the capital expenditure has not been cut, but it has gone up to Rs 11.21 lakh crore for 2025-26 fiscal, and there has been proportional increase in loans given to states for capital expenditure for the same year. Replying during the Question Hour in Rajya Sabha, Sitharaman said the capital expenditure was at Rs 11.11 lakh crore in 2024-25. “Actually, (in) the budget this year, it has gone up to Rs 11.21 lakh crore. So, the capital expenditure has not been cut at all,” she said. Loans to states under the scheme for interest-free 50-year special assistance for capital expenditure has gone up proportionately. “So, cutting down the capital expenditure is not the case with us,” she added. Sitharaman was responding to a question by senior Congress leader and former finance minister P Chidambaram. Chidambaram sought to know the reason for reduction in the capital expenditure for FY25 in the revised budget estimate to Rs 10,18,429 crore from Rs 11.11 lakh crore. Similarly, he pointed out that the …

Gender budget allocation Rs 64,008 cr, 8.45% of budget expenditure | Mumbai News

Gender budget allocation Rs 64,008 cr, 8.45% of budget expenditure | Mumbai News

Published by Parlour News

The allocation for women, girls and third gender has reduced to 8.45 per cent of the total budget expenditure (as per the budget estimates for year 2025-26) from 8.63 per cent (as per the revised estimate for year 2024-25). However, in absolute terms it has increased from Rs 62,947 crore (in revised estimate 2024-25) to Rs 64,008 crore as per budget estimate of 2025-26. According to the gender budget statement presented by Deputy Chief Minister and Finance Minister Ajit Pawar in legislative assembly the total allocation for women in 2025-26 is Rs 64,008 crore. Story continues below this ad The decrease in the number could be attributed to the reduction in the allotment of funds to Rs 36,000 crore for the CM Majhi Ladki Bahin as compared to Rs 46,000 crore in the previous budget. As per the statement for child budget, around 13.28 per cent of the total expenditure has been allocated for children’s schemes which was 12.99 per cent as per the revised estimates of 2024-25. As per the statement the total size …

Karnataka Budget: Siddaramaiah announces Rs 4L crore expenditure

Karnataka Budget: Siddaramaiah announces Rs 4L crore expenditure

Published by Webster

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, presenting his record sixteenth budget on Friday, strongly defended the government’s five guarantee schemes and targeted the Union government for the state’s fiscal challenges. He also emphasised that the budget was “development-oriented”. The total expenditure for the 2025-26 Budget is estimated to be Rs 4,09,549 crore. It includes revenue expenditure of Rs 3,11,739 crore, capital expenditure of Rs 71,336 crore and loan repayment of Rs 26,474 crore. The government has the responsibility to ensure that available resources are accessible to everyone, by balancing economic development with people’s welfare, said the CM, who presented the budget in the Assembly sitting due to knee pain. The administration was shaping Karnataka’s development model through the concept of “Universal Basic Income”, he said. The CM noted that this year’s budget will focus on implementing programmes across six key developmental dimensions: Welfare, Agriculture and Rural Development, Development-Oriented, Urban Development, Job Creation and Governance Reforms. Rs 71,336Capital expnditure amount for 2025-26 This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility …