Fiscal math may not dictate Budget spend

Govt keen to show positive demonetisation effects though social spending

The government plans to show a massive increase in public investment expenditure in Budget 2017-18 even if that means making some compromises with the fiscal deficit figures.

Senior finance ministry officials are working out several options to make this possible as the government plans to show that demonetisation has offered substantial gains to the people. Most of the increase will be in social sectors such as health, education, drinking water and sanitation.

“There is a lot of scope to expand expenditure and we are working out the alternatives”, said a top government official. The need to redo the math has