Rajya Sabha passes Appropriation No.3 Bill for Rs 54,067 crore excess spending in FY23

Rajya Sabha passed the Appropriation (No. 3) Bill, 2026, authorising Rs 54,067 crore in excess spending for FY23; the bill now returns to Lok Sabha. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said excess demand covers two heads: Rs196.44 crore from a court order against Railway Ministry and Rs53,871 crore for debt repayment, which carries no fiscal impact. The approval retrospectively regularises spending already incurred; this third Appropriation Bill of the session is a routine procedural exercise, with FY23 expenditure authorised in 2026.