Fiscal deficit touches half of budget estimate

The fiscal deficit for six-month period stood at Rs 1,97,775 crore, which is 49.3 per cent of total estimate of Rs 4,00,996 crore for this fiscal.

The fiscal deficit during the same period last year was at 77 per cent of annual estimate. It swelled to 6.2 per cent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) last fiscal against budget estimates of 2.5 per cent.

The Centre’s total revenue collection was at 39.8 per cent of the target estimate of Rs 2,44,471 crore during the period. The revenue by way of tax collections — direct and indirect — was at 39.2 per cent of the estimates at Rs 1,85,668 crore till September this fiscal.