APPROPRIATION BILL GETS THE NOD OF LOK SABHA

The Lok Sabha recently cleared the Appropriation Bill, allowing the Central government to draw funds from the Consolidated Fund of India for its operational requirements and implementation of various programmes.

Key terms:

• An appropriation bill, also known as supply bill or spending bill, is a proposed law that authorizes the expenditure of government funds. It is a bill that sets money aside for specific spending. In most democracies, approval of the legislature is necessary for the government to spend money.
• In legislative parlance, to “guillotine” means to bunch together and fast-track the passage of financial business. It is a fairly common procedural exercise in Lok Sabha during the Budget Session.

Demand for grants:

• The Bill was passed after Speaker put it through guillotine, a legislative mechanism to approve the fast-tracking of the passage of outstanding demands for grants without discussion.
• Over the past few days, the Lok Sabha discussed the demands for grants for Railway, Education and Health Ministries.
• 26 members of the House participated in a debate on the Demand for Grants under the Health Ministry.
• In his reply to the debate, Union Health Minister listed the steps taken by the Narendra Modi-led government to improve the healthcare infrastructure, emphasising on the initiatives to contain the pandemic.
• Union Health Minister said if the government ensured safe drinking water, sanitation and made arrangements for nutrition to children, it would take care of a majority of health issues.
• During the pandemic, the Union Minister said, the country achieved self-reliance in the production of PPTs, N-95 masks, diagnostic kits, ventilators and allied articles.
• On the criticism about slow pace of inoculation, MInsiter said the day India had recorded three million vaccinations, eight million were vaccinated in the entire world. India’s share was about 36%.

SOURCE: THE HINDU ,MINT