Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Friday suggested the bulk of additional spending sought in the first batch of its supplementary demands for grants would be spent on people-centric schemes to amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The minister sought probably for the first time the government has sought such a considerable amount in the first batch of supplementary demands for grants.
Lok Sabha thus approved supplementary demands for additional spending of Rs 2.35 lakh crore, that includes a cash outgo of Rs 1.66 lakh crore, to meet expenses for combating the COVID-19 pandemic.
Government has sought Rs 40,000 crore towards MNREGA, and thus taking the total outgo towards Rs 1 lakh crore is the highest till now. The budget allocated for 2020-21 has earmarked about Rs 61,500 crore for MNREGA.
Besides MNREGA, the schemes which are increased for people-centric artifices like PM Garib Kalyan Yojana and other social welfare schemes, added by Finance Minister.
Further, she added that the Prime Minister takes the digital initiatives, now has become possible to send money directly into the accounts of poor people.
As per the ministry, growth and increase in the users of Demat accounts opened in recent months was a reflection of the faith of people in the economy.
