Government scraps Rs 12,000 crore bond auction

19 Feb 2013 Evaluate

In a move that should satisfy the credit ratings agencies that have threatened India with a sovereign downgrade if steps are not taken to cut the fiscal and current account deficits, the Finance Ministry cancelled market borrowing by Rs 12,000 crore, thereby exuding confidence that fiscal deficit, would be contained at 5.3% of GDP.

The finance ministry, on reviewing government of India's cash position and funding requirement, decided in consultation with RBI to reduce the government market borrowing through dated securities by Rs 12,000 crore for the current financial year.

Strict spending checks undertaken by finance minister P Chidambaram to meet the fiscal deficit ensured that cash balance of over Rs 80,000 crore was left with the government. Further, this cash balance is also expected to help the government meet nearly Rs 95,000 crore in bond redemption.

Government’s cash position improved with flow of over Rs 14,000 crore through disinvestments alone in February. Up till now the government has collected around Rs 21,500 crore from PSU stake sales as against a fiscal target of Rs 30,000 crore.

Meanwhile, the government has raised Rs 5.58 lakh crore through dated securities in the current year against the budgeted Rs 5.69 lakh crore, after having borrowed Rs 3.7 lakh crore in the first half ending September 30, translating into 65% of the total planned borrowing.

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