Gopalan thinks the divestment target is within reach

New Delhi: The government is still hopeful of meeting the share sale target of Rs 40000 crore ($8.2 billion) budgeted for the current fiscal year that ends in March, economic affairs secretary, R Gopalan, said on Wednesday.

[caption id=“attachment_94412” align=“alignleft” width=“380” caption=“The inability of the government to go ahead with asset sales has raised doubts over its ability to meet the budgeted fiscal deficit target of 4.6 percent in the current year. Reuters”] [/caption]

The BSE Sensex is down nearly a fifth this year and has prompted the government to hold back on asset sales. Earlier this month, the government deferred the follow-on public offer plan in state-run energy major ONGC.

The inability of the government to go ahead with asset sales has raised doubts over its ability to meet the budgeted fiscal deficit target of 4.6 percent in the current year.

Reuters