Telangana Budget in November

Hyderabad: The euphoria surrounding the first Budget of Telangana state, expected to be presented to the Legislature in November and being touted as a  TS-specific growth oriented budget, seems to be slowly dying down with the government and officials slowly realising the “practical difficulties” in drafting such a budget.

Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao had embarked upon a novel experiment by constituting 14 task forces comprising senior officials to draft the Budget proposals in August contrary to the tradition of the finance minister drafting the Budget in consultation with departments. He asked the committees to address all the poll promises of TRS.

However, the committees failed to complete the task and missed repeated deadlines. The Budget is now expected to confine its focus only to irrigation, restoration of water bodies, water grid and power. The major poll promises are likely to be ignored.

The government, which delayed the Budget by over three months to prepare a “TS growth oriented budget” has now realised that it would not be possible to address all these issues in this Budget since it will be in effect for only four months (December-March). The TRS government now wants to incorporate all its priorities in the Budget for 2015-16.

Officials informed the CM that there are no funds available to accommodate all the poll promises of the government in this budget.

Mr Rao, who understood the realities, is said have asked the officials to  focus on only the important sectors which need immediate attention and for which money can be sanctioned and spent within four months.

He asked them to prepare a comprehensive budget for 2014-15 by incorporating all the government's priorities in February 2015. Mr Rao held a three-hour long meeting with officials on Saturday over the issue and guided the officials.