Q2 GDP growth encouraging but performance of agri sector poor: T C A Anant

Chief statistician says figure might go up once indirect tax data fully in; however, agrees pvt expenditure yet to pick up

The government's chief statistician says Gross Domestic Product growth might be revised upward after the total gamut of indirect tax collections becomes clear.

Economic growth, he felt, was firmly back after deceleration to 5.7 per cent in the first quarter of the current financial year, lowest in the Narendra Modi government's tenure till then. The outlook, he said, was bright.

"With the indirect tax regime now dominated by the Goods and Services Tax (GST) regime, the statistics department had to change its assessment methods," said T C A Anant, the chief statistician, at a press conference.

Adding: "Since we've had to use proxies