Jal Shakti, Skills ministries lag as railways lead pack in total spending

Consumer affairs and railways lead FY26 spending so far, as FinMin launches early pre-budget consultations to ensure fiscal prudence and even-paced expenditure

Expenditure by ministries till August has been around 37 per cent of the Budget estimate (BE) for FY26 with the finance ministry having begun pre-Budget interministerial consultations on October 9. 

 

While the initial discussions are focused on arriving at the revised estimate (RE) for FY26, the ministries would be submitting their BE for next financial year as well.

 

The government is confident of keeping the fiscal deficit at 4.4 per cent for this financial year even amid a slowdown in revenue collection so far. 

 

“Typically, in these meetings the government gets a greater clarity about the pace of expenditure in