The Lok Sabha passed the Demands for Grants of various Ministries for 2026-27 on Wednesday (March 18, 2026). The House approved an expenditure of over ₹53 lakh crore by applying the guillotine, passing the Demands for Grants for various Ministries without a discussion in Parliament. The House had discussed Demands for Grants for two Ministries -- Agriculture and Railways.
Parliament Budget Session updates on March 18, 2026
Replying to the debate on agriculture, Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said the Narendra Modi government is committed to transform society, improving lives, and shaping the future of the nation. He said the Opposition presented half-truths in the name of farmers’ welfare but did nothing to address the issues of farmers when it was in power. He said during the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government, out of 140 major irrigation projects, 99 had remained stalled.
“The Modi government brought these projects under the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana and placed them on priority, significantly accelerating their implementation. As a result, work is moving rapidly to ensure irrigation coverage for nearly 2.7 million hectares of additional agricultural land,” Mr. Chouhan added.
