New Delhi, Oct 30 (PTI) The Centre's fiscal deficit touched 42.1 per cent of the full-year Budget target in the first six months of the current fiscal year, according to government data released on Friday.

    In absolute terms, the fiscal deficit, or gap between expenditure and revenue, stood at Rs 7,14,413 crore at September-end 2026, according to data released by the Controller General of Accounts (CGA).

    In the year-ago period, the deficit was 36.5 per cent of 2025-26 Budget Estimates (BE).

    The Centre has set a fiscal deficit target of 4.3 per cent of the GDP, or Rs 16.96 lakh crore, for 2026-27.

    CGA showed that the central government's net tax revenue stood at Rs 12.76 lakh crore, or 44.5 per cent, of this fiscal's BE in September. The collection was 43.3 per cent in the year-ago period.

    As per data on monthly accounts, total expenditure was about Rs 25.5 lakh crore, or 47.7 per cent, of the 2026-27 Budget Estimates presented in Parliament by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in February.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)
Disclaimer: Comments posted here are the sole responsibility of the user and do not reflect the views of THE WEEK. Obscene or offensive remarks against any person, religion, community or nation are punishable under IT rules and may invite legal action.