FM minister Yanamala Ramakrishudu demands NDA give Rs 1,16,000-crore

VIJAYAWADA: Finance minister Mr Yanamala Ramakrishudu alleged that BJP led Central Government never helped the State Government to get rid of Rs 16,000 crore financial deficit for the past five years. The AP Assembly passed a vote-on-account Budget on the last day of the 32nd session on Friday. The minister claimed that the Centre had to give Rs 1,16,000 crore to AP State and alleged that opposition YSR Congress had shunned its responsibility of working on people’s issues.

Mr Ramakrishnudu said that Rayalaseema region had become like a desert but the earlier government never tried to develop the region and claimed that the TD government had turned the Rayalaseema region into a prosperous area and hub for horticulture with the river linking programme. He alleged that BJP government suppressed the rights of non-BJP states by cutting the funds. He claimed that the Union Government should sanction funds to the State and the States have the right to utilise those funds according to their needs.

The FM further claimed that the BJP Government claimed no funds under SCS to northern States after the year 2017 but continued to allocate funds. Hence AP had the right to ask SCS which was given through Parliament. He claimed that BJP Government had promised to give funds on par with SCS in the Special Package but till date the Centre did not allot any funds and refuted all allegations of the Union Government.

Mr Ramakrishnudu claimed that the 14th Finance Commission never objected SCS to AP State but BJP cheated AP people by showing the finance commission as the cause. He further said that the BJP Government led by Prime Minister Mr Narendra Modi showed bias towards AP State in the GST Council by refusing recommendations of the State and implemented norms which benefited BJP in the elections. He alleged that BJP government foiled cooperative federalism by suppressing the rights of the States and sought the cancellation of superpowers of the Union Government in GST council. He alleged that opposition YSR Congress shunned its responsibility by not attending the Assembly sessions. Sarcastically the FM said that that YSRC was treating the opposition leader Mr Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy’s house Lotus Pond as the Assembly.

He said that the YSRC had cheated the public who had elected YSRC leaders as MLAs.