Budget 2025: Lok Sabha has been allocated Rs 903 crore in the Union Budget, more than double the amount given to the Rajya Sabha. A sizeable allocation- Rs 558.81 crore of the total Rs 903 crore- has been assigned to the Lok Sabha Secretariat, which also includes Grants in Aid to Sansad TV. Of the Rs 413 crore allocated to Rajya Sabha, Rs 2.52 crore have been assigned for salaries and allowances of the Chairman and Deputy Chairman in the Rajya Sabha Secretariat.
The budget for Rajya Sabha also has a separate allocation of Rs 3 crore for the salaries and allowances of the Leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha and his secretariat. The budget has also allocated Rs 98.84 crore for members.
For Lok Sabha, Rs 1.56 crore has been allocated for salaries and allowances of the Speaker and Deputy Speaker, and there is no separate provision for the office of the Leader of the Opposition. There was no Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha for 10 years as no opposition party had the required numbers to be eligible for the post.
Most ‘middle class friendly Budget’: PM Modi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said the Union Budget has brought cheer to every average household even as he called it the “most middle class friendly budget in India’s history”. Addressing an election rally in Delhi’s RK Puram, the prime minister reiterated his poll slogan of “Modi ki guarantee” and played up the pro-middle class provisions in the Budget which Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented on Friday.
He said “never since India’s Independence have those with annual earnings up to Rs 12 lakh received such a huge relief. The middle class is saying that this is the most friendly Budget for them in India’s history”.
Just three days ahead of the February 5 elections, the prime minister also lauded the contribution of the middle class in national progress and said the BJP respects and honours honest taxpayers, and the Budget relief signalled this. The BJP has been out of power in Delhi for 27 years and is locked in a tough fight with the ruling Aam Aadmi Party. The saffron party has scheduled 80 rallies on Sunday.
Leading the campaign push, the prime minister greeted people on ‘Basant Panchami’ and said the festival marks a change of season and people of Delhi have also made up their mind to elect a BJP government.
“The weather starts changing with Basant Panchami. Three days later on February 5, the new ‘Basant’ (spring) of development will descend on Delhi. This time in Delhi, the BJP is forming its government”, he said in his hour-long speech.
