"No proper allocations in Andhra Pradesh budget for 2024-25": Buggana Rajendernath

Vijayawada (Andhra Pradesh) [India], November 11 (ANI): YSRCP leader and former State Finance Minister Buggana Rajendernath Reddy on Monday termed the Andhra Pradesh government's budget for the year 2024-25 as highly "deceptive" with no proper allocations to meet its tall promises.
Vijayawada (Andhra Pradesh) [India], November 11 (ANI): YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) leader and former Finance Minister Buggana Rajendernath Reddy on Monday criticised the Andhra Pradesh government's budget for 2024-25, termed it as highly "deceptive" with no proper allocations to meet its tall promises.
"The budget is disappointing as the people who were eagerly waiting for the Super Six promises to be fulfilled failed to note proper allocations," Rajendernath Reddy told reporters here.
Andhra Pradesh's Finance Minister Payyavula Keshav on Monday presented a comprehensive budget for the 2024-25 financial year, with a total expenditure of Rs 2,94,427.25 crore.
"While the total outlay is Rs 41,000 crore more than the previous year's figure of 2.95 lakh crore, where from the money would be drawn for fulfilling the much publicised Super Six schemes," the YSRCP leader asked.
Rajendernath Reddy pointed out that whether the 15,000 crore for Amaravathi is a loan or a grant is not clear and there is a lot of ambiguity. How World Bank provides loans to the area which is in the flood line remains to be seen.
"Be it Talliki Vandanam, free bus travel for women, or Annadata Sukhibhava, allocations are not tangible in the budget. Only a meagre amount for the Deepam scheme can be seen which was pegged at Rs.1.50 crore while what is needed is Rs 895 crore. The yawning gap tells the tale of the deception," he said.
The YSRCP leader said that how the government implement its welfare schemes in the increased budgetary allocation of Rs 24,000 crores is hard to guess. For Annadatha Sukhibhava the allocation is meagre and seems the State is largely dependent on the Central scheme. The budget does not talk about the Rs 3,000 unemployment stipend as well, he said.
"While we have to search the entire budget to get to know the allocation for each scheme taking lots of pain, in our government we have always mentioned the allocations under each head for every scheme with clarity. The budget speech has referred to the previous government 21 times and drawing a comparison, the revenue deficit has grown alarmingly when compared to our government," he said.
Meanwhile, Minister Keshav highlighted the budget's alignment with the state's vision of "Swarna Andhra@2047" and emphasized the government's dedication to addressing issues inherited from previous administrations.
The proposed expenditure includes Rs 2,35,916.99 crore earmarked for revenue expenditure and Rs32,712.84 crore for capital expenditure.
Projected deficits for the fiscal year include a revenue deficit of Rs 34,743.38 crore and a fiscal deficit of Rs68,742.65 crore, amounting to 4.19 per cent of the Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP).
Agriculture and allied sectors will get a significant allocation of Rs11,855 crore, demonstrating the government's commitment to rural livelihoods and food security. (ANI)