AP Budget highly deceptive: YSRC

Vijayawada: The YSRC has criticised the state Budget for 2024-25 as "highly deceptive," claiming it lacks proper allocations to fulfill its grand promises. The party argued that the budget starts on a negative note, signaling challenges ahead.

Former finance minister Buggana Rajendranath Reddy, speaking to the media on Monday, expressed his disappointment with the budget, noting that while people were eagerly anticipating the fulfillment of the "Super Six" promises, there were no substantial allocations to back them. Although the total outlay of ₹2.95 lakh crore for the year represents an increase of ₹41,000 crore over the previous year's budget, Rajendranath questioned where the funds would come from to fulfill the much-publicized Super Six schemes. He also pointed out the lack of clarity regarding the ₹15,000 crore earmarked for Amaravati, questioning whether it is a loan or a grant, and highlighting the ambiguity surrounding the funding. Additionally, he raised concerns about how the World Bank would provide loans to an area located in a flood-prone zone.

Rajendranath said, "Whether it’s the Talliki Vandanam, free bus travel for women, or the Annadata Sukhibhava scheme, the allocations in the budget are hardly sufficient. The only noticeable allocation is a meager ₹1.5 crore for the Deepam scheme, whereas ₹895 crore is needed. The yawning gap in these numbers speaks volumes about the deception. How can the government implement its welfare schemes with an increased budgetary allocation of ₹24,000 crore remains unclear. The allocation for Annadata Sukhibhava is also insufficient, indicating that the state is largely relying on central schemes. Furthermore, the budget fails to address the promised ₹3,000 unemployment stipend."

He further criticised the budget's lack of transparency, saying, “While we had to sift through the entire budget to identify allocations for each scheme, during our government, we always provided clear, detailed allocations for each scheme in our budget speeches." Rajendranath also pointed out that the current budget referred to the previous government 21 times, drawing comparisons that, in his view, do not reflect well on the current administration. He emphasized that the revenue deficit has grown alarmingly when compared to the previous government’s performance.

"In the 2014-19 period, even when power dues were pending, our government cleared them. This has been a consistent pattern of the TD government, whether before 2004 or during 2014-19," he added.