2.2.5. Appropriation Bill

Under the Constitution, no money can be withdrawn from the Consolidated Fund of India without enactment of law by the Parliament. In pursuance of this, a Bill incorporating all the demands for Grants voted by the Lok Sabha, along with the expenditure charged on the Consolidated Fund, is introduced in the Lok Sabha. This Bill is known as the Appropriation Bill. The Bill, as the name suggests, intends to give legal authority to the government to appropriate the expenditure from and out of the Consolidated Fund.

Procedure regarding Appropriation Bill

♤ The procedure in regard to the passage of an Appropriation Bill is the same as for any other Bill, generally with only those modifications that the Speaker may consider necessary.

♤ The debate on an Appropriation Bill, however, is restricted to those matters, which have not already been raised while the relevant demands for grants were under consideration.

♤ No amendments can be proposed.

After the Bill is passed by the Lok Sabha, the Speaker certifies it as a Money Bill and transmits it to the Rajya Sabha. The latter House has no power to amend or reject the Bill, but has to give its concurrence, and if Rajya Sabha doesn’t take any action on it within 14 days even then it is considered as passed by the Rajya Sabha. The bill, thereafter, is presented to the President for his assent.