Government spending up by 4% in first quarter: Jaitley

New Delhi, Aug 8 (IANS) The government spent around four per cent more Budgetary allocation than the last year in the first quarter by advancing the Budget by one month, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said on Tuesday.

"The total expenditure of the Union government during the first quarter (April to June of 2017-18) is Rs 6,50,731 crore, 30.3 per cent of Budgetary allocation 2017-18 as against Rs 5,11,833 crore (25.9 per cent of BE 2016-17) for the corresponding period previous year," Jaitley informed the Rajya Sabha.

He said the presentation of the budget a month before and completion of all Budget-related legislative business before March 31 "was (meant) to provide allocation to the departments right from first day of the new financial year for expenditure".

"This was indeed intended to utilise full working season, including the first quarter. This has been given effect to in Budget for 2017-18," he said.