Revenue deficit surpasses full year target–Business Line–01.07.2017

The Centre’s fiscal deficit rose to ₹3,73,361 crore or 68.3 per cent of the full year target till May 2017.
However, the revenue deficit rose to ₹3,23,478 crore, surpassing the full year target by 0.5 per cent during May 2017 itself.
This was driven by higher expenditure that rose to ₹4,59,026 crore or 21.4 per cent of the total budgeted expenditure for the full financial year 2017-2018. The front loading of expenditure and spending from April 1, 2017 seems to have swelled up the revenue deficit.
Revenue receipts for May 2017 stood at ₹83,012 crore, covering 5.5 per cent of the total budgeted estimate for the fiscal. Capital expenditure stood at ₹52,536 crore or 17 per cent of total budgeted amount. Revenue expenditure stood at ₹4,06,490 crore or 22.1 per cent of the budgeted amount for the fiscal.
The fiscal deficit was 42.9 per cent in the corresponding period last year. Meanwhile revenue deficit stood at 56.2 per cent and expenditure was lower too at 15.1 per cent of the full year budgeted target till May 2016.
For April 2017, fiscal deficit stood at 37.6 per cent of the full year target, total expenditure was at 11.3 per cent, while the revenue deficit stood at 55.4 per cent.