Telangana Rashtra Samithi woos farmers, poorer sections

Hyderabad: The TRS government has gone all out to woo farmers, poorer sections and minorities in its ‘election year’ Budget 2018-19, presented by finance minister Etela Rajender in the Legislative Assembly on Thursday. Mr Rajender presented a jumbo Budget of Rs 1.74 lakh crore, which is 16.9 per cent more than last year. The revenue surplus has been pegged at Rs 5,520 crore and fiscal deficit at Rs 29,077.07 crore.

TS recorded higher GDP growth of 14.1 per cent in 2017-18, which is more than the national average of 9.5 per cent. The per capita income is Rs 1.75 lakh in 2017-18, much higher than the national average of Rs 1.12 lakh. Farmers and the rural masses have got top priority with 26 per cent of funds allotted to agriculture and allied sectors. An amount of Rs 12,000 crore has been allotted for the subsidy of Rs 8,000 per acre, per year to be paid to every farmer, and Rs 500 crore has been allotted for the Farmers’ Group Insurance Scheme, under which Rs 5 lakh will be given to the family of every deceased farmer. Irrigation projects got the highest allocation of Rs 25,000 crore.

Farm mechanisation got a whopping Rs 522 crore. Rice transplanters will be given to farmers at subsidised rates. Around 13,394 tractors, 31,274 pieces of farm equipment, 4.71 lakh tarpaulins and 26,179 sprayers have been distributed at subsidised rates to farmers under this scheme. There was a significant increase in the allocation for welfare sc-hemes meant for Backward Classess, EBCs, Scheduled Castes (SC) and Tribes and Minorities.   A new scheme for free medical tests for all people of economically backward classes, free eye tests and free spectacles was announced.

A Special Development Fund for SCs got Rs 16,453 crore, and for STs, Rs 9,693. Budget allocation has increased for welfare schemes for minorities from Rs 1,200 last year to Rs 2,000 crore this year. Huge allotments were also made for residential schools for SCs, STs, BCs and Minorities amounting to Rs 2,823 crore: Rs 1,221 crore for SC residential schools, Rs 401 crore for STs, Rs 296 crore for BCs, Rs 735 crore for Minorities. However, for its flagship programmes such as Mission Bhagiratha, Mission Kakatiya and 2BKH housing scheme, the government has relied on loans and made fewer allotments in the Budget.