Mumbai: India's fiscal deficit during the eight months of April-November 2006 touched 72.8 per cent of the total budget target for the entire financial year of the Rs148,686 crore,.

According to data from the Controller General of Accounts today, the central government's fiscal deficit grew to Rs108,201 crore during April-November 2006-07.

The revenue deficit at Rs84,483 crore in the first eight months of this financial year, accounted for virtually the full budget target of Rs4,727 crore. In the same period in 2005, the revenue deficit was 91.5 per cent.

Against budgetary targets, the centre's fiscal deficit so far has been slightly lower compared to 74.7 per cent in April-November 2005.

The government's total expenditure was Rs336,539 crore, 59.7 per cent of the budget estimate of Rs563,991 crore against 57 per cent last year.

The deficits increased primarily on account of rise in non-plan expenditure. The non-plan expenditure stood at Rs245,393 crore - 62.7 per cent of the budget estimate of Rs391,263 crore against 56.8 per cent a year ago.

At the same time, plan expenditure stood at Rs91,146 crore, 52.8 per cent of the estimate of Rs172,728 crore for the entire year as compared to 57.4 per cent last year.

During the period, the government collected total revenue of Rs221,190 crore. This was 54.8 per cent of the budgeted amount of Rs 4,03,465 crore for the fiscal.