Lok Sabha approves ₹50 lakh crore expenditure for 2025-26

On March 21, 2025, the Lok Sabha approved the Demands for Grants for various Ministries, allowing spending of over ₹50 lakh crore for the 2025-26 budget. This approval came through a process called the "guillotine," meaning that certain grants were approved without discussion. The Lok Sabha also passed the Appropriation Bill (3) for 2025, introduced by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. Earlier, there was a four-hour debate about the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare. Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan stated that the government has spent ₹22.38 lakh crore on the procurement of farm produce. He emphasized that the government aims to support farmers and achieve growth in agriculture. During the debate, several opposition lawmakers criticized the government's response to farmer protests in Punjab, raising concerns about police actions against the demonstrators. Congress MP Charanjit Singh Channi questioned the government's decision to lower import duties on grains, fearing it would harm Indian farmers. He accused the BJP government of breaking promises regarding Minimum Support Prices (MSP) and unjustly suppressing the farmers' movement. Chouhan responded by pointing out that political parties like Congress and AAP had collaborated during the elections, suggesting hypocrisy in their current accusations. Opposition MP Dharmendra Yadav highlighted issues faced by farmers, including suicides, and criticism of past farm laws. He claimed that the government's lack of response to these issues reflects poorly on their commitment to farmers. Other MPs, including those from DMK and NCP, echoed these concerns. They expressed worry about the impact of U.S. agricultural policies on Indian farmers, warning that opening markets could threaten local agriculture. They charged that the government was risking India's agricultural independence gained from past reforms.