Lok Sabha ‘guillotines’ Demands for Grants worth ₹53 lakh crore

Lok Sabha accepted the 2026-27 Grant Demands of various Ministries on Wednesday, March 18, 2026. By applying the guillotine, the House approved an expenditure of over ₹ 53 lakh crore and passed Grant Demands for various Ministries without discussion in Parliament. The Parliament discussed the Grant Requests of two ministries (Agriculture and Railways).

Parliamentary Budget Session updates on March 18, 2026

Responding to the debate on agriculture, Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said that the Narendra Modi government is committed to transforming society, improving lives and shaping the future of the nation. He said the opposition was presenting half-truths for the welfare of farmers but did nothing to address farmers’ problems while in power. He said that during the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government, 99 out of 140 major irrigation projects were stopped.

“The Modi government has brought and prioritized these projects under the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana and accelerated their implementation significantly. As a result, work is progressing rapidly to ensure that around 2.7 million hectares of additional agricultural land is brought under irrigation,” Mr. Chouhan added.

Maintaining that the new Pesticide and Seed Bills will soon be implemented, he said they were aimed at guaranteeing quality seeds, standard and reliable fertilizers, as well as safe and effective pesticides for farmers. He said Mr Modi has consistently argued that excessive use of chemical fertilizers harms soil health and could threaten agricultural productivity for future generations. He added that under the Natural Farming Mission, the government has decided to provide awareness support to one crore farmers, provide training to 18 lakh farmers and gradually expand natural farming in 75 lakh hectares of land.

Earlier, initiating the debate on Agriculture Ministry Grant Demands, Congress MP Amrinder Singh Raja Warring said that 750 farmers in Punjab died during the agitation against the now repealed farm laws and sought compensation for their families. He said minimum support price (MSP) should be a legal right and urged the Center to announce a special package worth Rs 50,000 crore for Punjab’s “distressed” farmers whose crops and farmland have been damaged due to heavy rains and floods.

Mr. Warring also suggested an incentive of ₹5,000 per farmer to discourage stubble burning.

Samajwadi Party’s Naresh Chandra Uttam Patel opposed imports of soyabeans, dairy products and fodder, warned of losses to farmers and demanded that the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana cover be increased to ₹ 10 lakh.

Trinamool Congress’s Pratima Mondal criticized the government’s handling of the farm distress and pointed out a lack of accountability in protest-related deaths.

While calling for higher MSP for pulses to benefit Telangana farmers, BJP member Konda Vishweshwar Reddy credited the government for low inflation and increased purchasing power.