April-January fiscal deficit hits 128.5% of FY20 revised estimates

The Centre’s fiscal deficit for the April-January period came in at Rs 9.85 trillion, or 128.5 per cent of the 2019-20 revised estimates of Rs 7.7 trillion, against 121.5 per cent for the same period last year. This came largely on the back of higher capital expenditure and lower tax and divestment receipts, the official data released on Friday showed.

As a percentage of the Budget estimates of Rs 7.04 trillion, the fiscal deficit was a staggering 140 per cent. 

Additionally, with the October-December 2019-20 quarter gross domestic product data also released on Friday, it can now be calculated that the fiscal