Appropriation Bills

Article 179, Draft Constitution 1948

(1) The Governor shall authenticate by his signature a schedule specifying-

(a) The grants made by the Assembly under the last preceding article;

(b) The several sums required to meet the expenditure charged on the revenues of the State, but not exceeding in any case, the sum shown in the statement previously laid before the House or Houses.

(2) The schedule so authenticated shall be laid before the Assembly but shall not be open to discussion or vote in the Legislature.

(3) Subject to the provisions of the next two succeeding articles, no expenditure from the revenues of the State shall be deemed to be duly authorised unless it is specified in the schedule so authenticated.

Article 204, Constitution of India 1950

(1) As soon as may be after the grants under article 203 have been made by the Assembly, there shall be introduced a Bill to provide for the appropriation out of the Consolidated Fund of the State of all moneys required to meet—

(a) the grants so made by the Assembly; and

(b) the expenditure charged on the Consolidated Fund of the State but not exceeding in any case the amount shown in the statement previously laid before the House or Houses.

⁠(2) No amendment shall be proposed to any such Bill in the House or either House of the Legislature of the State which will have the effect of varying the amount or altering the destination of any grant so made or of varying the amount of any expenditure charged on the Consolidated Fund of the State, and the decision of the person presiding as to whether an amendment is inadmissible under this clause shall be final.

⁠(3) Subject to the provisions of articles 205 and 206, no money shall be withdrawn from the Consolidated Fund of the State except under appropriation made by law passed in accordance with the provisions of this article.

Draft Article 179 (Article 204) was debated on 10 June 1949. It laid down the procedure for the passage of Appropriation Bills.

The Chairman of the Drafting Committee moved an amendment to wholly replace the Draft Article with the following:

1) As soon as may be after the grant under the last preceding article have been made by the Assembly there shall be introduced a Bill to provide for the appropriation out of the Consolidated Fund of the State all moneys required to meet-

(a) the grants so made by the Assembly; and

(b) the expenditure charged on the consolidated Fund of the State but not exceeding in any case the amount shown in the statement previously laid before the House or Houses.

(2) No amendment shall be proposed to any such bill in the House or either House of the Legislature of the State which will have the effect of varying the amount or altering the destination of any grant so made or of varying the amount of any expenditure charged on the Consolidated fund of the State, and the decision of the person presiding as to the amendments which are admissible under this clause shall be final.

(3) Subject to the provisions of the next two succeeding articles no money shall be withdrawn from the Consolidated Fund of the State except under appropriation made by law passed in accordance with the provisions of this article.

The Draft Article empowered the Governor to authenticate the Schedule. Through this Amendment, the Drafting Committee sought to give primacy to the State Legislature. The amendment was accepted without debate.

The amended Draft Article was adopted on 10 June 1949.