Union Budget Allocates Rs 1,024.30 Crore for Council of Ministers and Related Expensing

New Delhi: The Union Budget for 2025-26 presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in the Lok Sabha on Saturday allocated a total of Rs 1,024.30 crore towards the expenses incurred by the Council of Ministers, the Cabinet Secretariat, and the Prime Minister's Office (PMO), including provisions for hospitality and entertainment for state guests.

The allocation is slightly higher than the Rs 1,021.83 crore allocated in the 2024-25 Budget. The largest share of this amount, Rs 619.04 crore, has been allotted for the expenses of the Council of Ministers, which includes salaries, allowances, and travel expenses for Cabinet ministers, ministers of state, and former prime ministers.

Minister of State in the Ministry of Finance, Govind Mohan, said that the increase in allocation to the Council of Ministers' expense was a clear indication of the government's commitment towards supporting and empowering its top bureaucrats. The National Security Council Secretariat has received an allocation of Rs 182.75 crore, which is lower than the Rs 270.08 crore provided in the previous fiscal year.

On the other hand, the office of Principal Scientific Advisor has been allocated Rs 70.12 crore to meet its administrative expenses and support the National Research Foundation, while the Cabinet Secretariat has been allotted Rs 75.68 crore for administrative costs related to the body and the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC).

Meanwhile, Prime Minister's Office will receive Rs 70.91 crore for administrative expenses. Additionally, the Budget has allocated Rs 4 crore for hospitality and entertainment of foreign state guests, official events at Rashtrapati Bhavan, national day receptions among other ceremonial functions.

Former Governors of India are also expected to benefit from this allocation with a sum of Rs 1.80 crore being provided as secretariat assistance payments.