Skip to main content

Article 202

Annual Financial Statement (State Budget)

Official heading: “Annual financial statement.”

Check this article against the official editionAwaiting human legal review
Source edition
The Constitution of India (as on 1 May 2026)
Source locator
Part VI, Article 202, printed page 92
Last human source-link check
Not yet checked
Last human legal review
Not yet reviewed

AI-assisted source comparisons are noted with the citations below; the check date remains pending until a human confirms the link. The report link opens your email app; you choose whether to send it.

1. In One Sentence

Article 202 mandates that the Governor shall cause to be laid before the State Legislature the Annual Financial Statement (State Budget), distinguishing charged expenditure from voted expenditure.

2. What It Means in Everyday Language

Article 202 establishes the constitutional requirement for the State Budget, formally termed the "Annual Financial Statement". It mirrors Article 112 at the Union level.

The Governor must cause the statement to be laid before the House(s) of the State Legislature before the commencement of each financial year, showing the estimated receipts and expenditure of the State for that year.

Charged vs. Voted Expenditure (Clause 2 & 3): The budget must separately distinguish: (a) expenditure charged upon the Consolidated Fund of the State (such as Governor's emoluments, salaries of High Court judges, debt charges, and court decrees); and (b) sums required to meet other expenditure proposed to be made from the Consolidated Fund.

Charged items are non-votable under Article 203, protecting constitutional institutions from annual legislative bargaining.

3. Practical Illustrative Example

Everyday Scenario:

The State Finance Minister presents the annual budget speech in the Legislative Assembly.

Core takeaway: Under Article 202, the financial statement laid before the House is a constitutional mandate issued in the name of the Governor.
Illustrative Notice: While charged expenditure (like High Court judges' salaries) can be discussed, it cannot be voted upon or reduced by MLAs.

4. Important Limits, Qualifications & Exceptions

Article 202 enforces fiscal transparency and budgetary discipline in State governance.

  • Annual presentation of estimated receipts and expenditure.
  • Strict demarcation between charged and voted expenditure.
  • Protects constitutional salaries: Governor, High Court judges, Speaker, and debt servicing.
  • Foundation for subsequent Appropriation and Finance Bills.

5. Operative Constitutional Text

(1) The Governor shall in respect of every financial year cause to be laid before the House or Houses of the Legislature of the State a statement of the estimated receipts and expenditure of the State for that year, in this Part referred to as the “annual financial statement”. (2) The estimates of expenditure embodied in the annual financial statement shall show separately— (a) the sums required to meet expenditure described by this Constitution as expend iture charged upon the Consolidated Fund of the State; and (b) the sums required to meet other expenditure proposed to be made from the Consolidated Fund of the State, and shall distinguish expenditure on revenue account from other expenditure. (3) The following expenditure shall be expenditure charged on the Consolidated Fund of each State— (a) the emoluments and allowances of the Governor and other expenditure relating to his office; (b) the salaries and allowances of the Speaker and the Deputy Speaker of the Legislative Assembly and, in the case of a State having a Legislative Council, also of the Chairman and the Deputy Chairman of the Legislative Council; (c) debt charges for which the State is liable including interest, sinking fund charges and redemption charg es, and other expenditure relating to the raising of loans and the service and redemption of debt; (d) expenditure in respect of the salaries and allowances of Judges of any High Court; (e) any sums required to satisfy any judgment, decree or award of any court or arbitral tribunal; (f) any other expenditure declared by this Constitution, or by the Legislature of the State by law, to be so charged.
Transcription for reference; compare with the linked official editionNot yet verified by a human legal reviewer

6. Sources & Historical Assembly Deliberations

Assembly quotations are withheld until wording, dates, and attribution have been checked against the primary record.

Sources & Citation Metadata
  • •
    Constitutional TextThe Constitution of India (as on 1 May 2026)Cited PDF page
    Government of India (Legislative Department, Ministry of Law and Justice) • Part VI, Article 202, printed page 92 • Human source-link check pending

    Primary PDF accessed and transcribed with AI assistance on 14 October 2026. Formatting and amendment annotation markers are omitted; operative wording is retained. This is not human legal review. Later amendments and commencement notifications have not been comprehensively checked.

Human legal review is pending; compare the text with the cited editionNon-partisan educational resource

Related Constitutional Articles to Explore: