April-November fiscal deficit over 115 percent of target on revenue lag

The data furnished by the Controller General of Accounts (CGA) showed that the fiscal deficit during the corresponding eight months of the previous fiscal was 112 per cent. Till November, the government’s total expenditure stood at Rs 16.13 lakh crore (66.1 per cent of the budget estimates) while the total receipts were Rs 8.97 lakh crore (49.3 per cent of the budget estimates). 

This is as compared to 54.2 per cent of budget estimates received in the same period of 2017-18. “Rs 4,31,963 crore has been transferred to state governments as devolution of share of taxes by the government up to this period, which is Rs 46,677 crore higher than the corresponding period of last year,” the Finance Ministry said in a statement. Of the total expenditure in this period, Rs 14.22 lakh crore was on revenue account and Rs 1.91 lakh crore on capital account.  “Out of the total revenue expenditure, Rs 3,48,233 crore is on account of interest payments and Rs 2,19,046 crore is on account of major subsidies,” the 

statement said.