The Rajya Sabha considered a ₹54,067 crore Appropriation Bill for 2022-23, facing disruptions and Opposition demands for Home Minister Amit Shah to apologise, amid claims that the Centre has addressed Kashmir’s financial needs following scrapped Article 370.
The Rajya Sabha on Thursday considered and returned the Appropriation Bill, 2026, authorising spending of about ₹54,067 crore for expenditure incurred in 2022-23, as Opposition members staged a walkout and demanded the presence of Home Minister Amit Shah in the House. The chamber was briefly thrown off course by repeated disruptions before being adjourned for an hour after lunch.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said the extra spending had already been scrutinised by the Public Accounts Committee, which included the matter in its 39th report laid before the Lok Sabha in April. She said the overshoot came under two heads: ₹196.44 crore linked to a court order involving the Ministry of Railways and ₹53,871 crore for debt repayment.
Turning to demands for greater support for Jammu and Kashmir, Sitharaman said the Union government pays the full salary and pension bill of the Jammu and Kashmir Police, which she put at about ₹13,000 crore a year. She also said the Centre had repaid Ladakh’s entire debt, restructured Jammu and Kashmir’s debt and provided an additional ₹5,000 crore each in 2024-25 and 2025-26 to meet urgent administrative needs.
Sitharaman said the measures showed the Centre had already addressed the region’s financial requirements, while also defending the decision to scrap Article 370 seven years ago. The debate unfolded against a tense political backdrop, with the Opposition pressing for Shah to come to the House and apologise for police action against protesting students.
Disclaimer: This article is intended to inform and educate, not to recommend or endorse any financial product, investment or strategy. Please consider your own financial circumstances and seek professional advice where appropriate before making financial decisions.
