Lok Sabha passes second supplementary demand for grants amid din

New Delhi, Dec 20 The Lok Sabha on Monday passed the second supplementary demand for grants, authorising the Union government to spend an additional Rs 3.73 lakh crore in the current fiscal, amid continued protests by the Opposition demanding the removal of Minister of State for Home Ajay Kumar Misra Teni.

Replying to the debate on the supplementary demand for grants, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said that the government has recovered Rs 13,109 crore by selling the assets of fugitive defaulters such as Nirav Modi, Mehul Choksi, and Vijay Mallya.

She also said that Rs 792 crore recovered after disposal of Mallya's property has been deposited with the banks.

Replying to the Members who raised the issue of inflation, the Finance Minister also said that the rate of inflation is around 6 percent now and a Group of Ministers has been constituted to tackle it.

About Oil Bonds, Sitharaman said that even the former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh also said in 2008 that the subsidy given in the oil sector will be a burden on our children.

"Tax payers today are paying for the subsidy given more than a decade ago. It will continue for another five years," she added.

The supplementary demand includes Rs 62,000 crore for equity infusion in Air India assets, along with allocations for fertiliser and food subsidies, and funds for MGNREGA.

It also provides Rs 58,430 crore by way of additional fertiliser subsidy, Rs 53,123 crore towards payment of pending export incentives, and Rs 22,039 crore to the Rural Development Ministry for transfer to the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme.

The second supplementary demand for grants was moved for passage in the Lok Sabha on December 14 wherein the Opposition hit out at the government over the issue of inflation, Covid-19 situation, and other issues.