Shaky fiscal grounds

The government sought Parliament's approval for an extra Rs 20,948 crore for 2016-17 through the first supplementary demand for grants tabled in the Lok Sabha on Monday.

Though the additional gross expenditure sought was Rs 1,03,013 crore, Rs 82,065 crore would be met by savings of the ministries, departments and by enhanced receipts and recoveries. If no additional revenues come during the year, the Centre's fiscal deficit will increase to 3.7 per cent of GDP from the budgeted 3.5 per cent.

The fiscal deficit has already touched 61 per cent of the budgeted amount in the first three months of the financial year. Here is a look at the government's math: