Fiscal deficit hits 86% of budget estimate in Apr-Nov

New Delhi: Fiscal deficit touched the Rs 4.58 lakh crore mark, or 85.8 percent of the budget estimate (BE) for the whole financial year, at the end of April-November. The fiscal situation at the end of November was better this financial year compared to the year-ago period as the deficit then stood at 87 percent of BE. [caption id=“attachment_3123390” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  AFP file image[/caption] Fiscal deficit, the gap between expenditure and revenue for the entire fiscal, has been pegged at Rs 5.33 lakh crore, or 3.5 percent of GDP, in 2016-17. As per data released by the Controller General of Accounts, tax revenue came in at Rs 6.21 lakh crore, or 59 percent of the full-year BE of Rs 10.54 lakh crore. Total receipts from revenue and non-debt capital of the government during the eight months read Rs 7.96 lakh crore, or 57.8 percent of BE. The government’s Plan expenditure during the period came in at Rs 3.64 lakh core, 66.2 percent of the full-year budget estimate. During the same period last year, it stood at 64.1 percent. The non-Plan expenditure in April-November of 2016-17 was Rs 9.22 lakh crore, or 64.6 percent, of the whole-year estimate. The total expenditure (Plan and non-Plan) was Rs 12.86 lakh crore, 65 percent of the government’s full-year estimate of Rs 19.78 lakh crore. The revenue deficit during April-November stood at Rs 3.48 lakh crore, or 98.4 percent of BE for 2016-17.