Lok Sabha passes demand for grants; to take up Finance Bill tomorrow

NEW DELHI: Lok Sabha today passed a bill allowing the central government to withdraw Rs 62.03 lakh crore from the Consolidated Fund to meet its expenditure during 2015-16, thus completing the second phase of the budgetary exercise.

The House approved the Appropriation Bill, 2015, after the demands for grants for several ministries were collectively put to vote and passed by applying guillotine.

The Bill, moved by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, was passed by a voice vote.

Jaitley is scheduled to move the Finance Bill 2015, containing tax proposals of the government for the fiscal, for passage in the Lower House tomorrow.

The budgetary exercise for 2015-16 will be completed with the passage of the Finance Bill by Parliament. After Lok Sabha, it will go to Rajya Sabha.

The Lok Sabha discussed the demands for grants of ministries of Drinking Water and Sanitation, Health and Family Welfare, Environment, Chemicals and Fertilizer, HRD and Home Affairs.

The first phase of the budgetary process was completed after Parliament passed the vote-on-account in March.