Shortage of divestment receipts

The government on Tuesday said a shortfall of Rs 26,106 crore in receipts from disinvestment pushed the fiscal deficit for 2011-12 up 0.29 per cent. "Because of shortfall of Rs 26,106 crore from disinvestment, the fiscal deficit got aggravated by 0.29 per cent (in 2011-12)," Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee told the Rajya Sabha in a written reply. As against the target of Rs 40,000 crore during 2012-13, the government has been able to raise only Rs 13,894 crore from sale of equity in public sector undertakings.