rewrite this title and make it good for SEOCentre plans big capex push to ensure meeting Rs 11.1 lakh crore target

With less than five months of the current fiscal year left, the Centre is planning a massive capex push in the ensuing months to ensure that a significant part of its ambitious target of Rs 11.1 lakh crore for the fiscal is met.

According to sources, the Centre is undertaking a review of capital spending by nodal ministries and departments, and is also considering various measures such as a partial relaxation of the ceiling cap for the last quarter of the fiscal. “The government will do everything possible to ensure that capital expenditure takes place and it would very much like to ensure that the target set in the Union Budget 2024-25 is achieved as it would also help maintain the growth momentum,” said a senior official source. As per official data, capital expenditure in the first six months of the fiscal between April and September 2025 amounted to just 37% of the Budget Estimates (BE) to Rs 4.14 lakh crore. It was significantly higher amounting to Rs 4.9 lakh crore or 49% of the BE of Rs 10 lakh crore in FY24. Sources noted that FY25 is an exceptional year due to the general elections taking place. While under the Model Code of Conduct, no new projects could be sanctioned, the full Budget was passed only by the middle of August.“Discussions at various levels are underway to ensure capex continues. As of now, there are cash controls and we are very optimistic of visible progress on the ground soon,” said the source. While several ministries such as railways and highways have already exceeded 50% of their capex target for the fiscal, the Centre will also nudge states to ensure more capex takes place. By end-September, the railway ministry had spent Rs 1.35 lakh crore or 54% of its capex target for the fiscal while the ministry of road and highways had spent Rs 1.4 lakh crore or 52% of the BE. A decision may also be taken to review the quarterly expenditure caps, especially the last quarter spending ceiling that is typically put in place so that no bunching of expenditure takes place. Typically, the finance ministry restricts expenditure to 33% of the full target in the last quarter of the fiscal with a cap of 15% for the last month to ensure that ministries do not get funds at the last minute. However, this year, this could possibly be relaxed.