National Small Savings Fund to invest more in public agencies than govt

Fund to explore providing loans to railways, urban housing scheme

The National Small Savings Fund (NSSF) has a budget to invest Rs 1.3 trillion in public agencies, such as the Food Corporation of India (FCI), the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), and Air India, in the next financial year (2018-19, or FY19).

This is the first time its annual investment in public agencies would exceed that in general government (Centre and states) debt, pegged at a little less than Rs 1 trillion in FY19. The NSSF might also invest in agencies such as Indian Railways Finance Corporation and the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Urban).

Separately, with the fund getting