Stimulus package funding: Govt weighs fiscal push for growth

Govt considering various steps to lift the economy

The government is considering increased spending in order to revive the economy and is open to allowing the fiscal deficit to widen beyond its target for the year. A stimulus package in the range of Rs 40,000-50,000 crore is being discussed in the government, though these figures could not be immediately confirmed.

Back-of-the-envelope calculations show that a Rs 40,000-crore increase in capital spending could lead to a fiscal deficit of 3.5 per cent of the gross domestic product, against the Budget estimate of 3.2 per cent. Assuming the budgeted total revenue figure for 2017-18 remains constant, for each additional spending