VIJAYAWADA: Finance Minister Buggana Rajendernath presented the annual budget for the financial year 2022-23 in the Andhra Pradesh Assembly on Friday with a total outlay of 2, 56,256 crore.
The budget laid its focus on social welfare, the main agenda of the YSR Congress government. The revenue expenditure was pegged at Rs 2, 08,261 crores and capital expenditure at Rs 47,996 crore.
The estimated revenue deficit is around Rs 17,036 crore and the fiscal deficit around Rs 48,724 crore. The finance minister said the fiscal deficit would be around 3, 64 per cent of the GSDP, whereas the revenue deficit worked out to 1.27 per cent of the GSDP.
The minister quoted verses from Sri Sri, Gurazada, Vemana and Kalidas as also Nobel Prize winner Muta Maathai. He said, “In the last three years, we have set in motion changes through Navaratnalu and welfare schemes that were promised in the YSRC manifesto. We are working for social inclusion to make our state a leader in all the SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals).”
“Welfare was taken to the intended beneficiary in a transparent manner by DBT mode and we have established a robust decentralized governance system.”
Top priority was given to welfare by allotting Rs 45,955 crore, while education sector got Rs 30,077 crore, health Rs 15,384.26 crore, urban development Rs 8,796 crore and social security Rs 4,331.85 crore, while other schemes too have been given enhanced allocations.
The Children and Gender segment in the Budget has been allocated Rs 4,322.86 crore, while Rs 18,518 crore has been earmarked for SC sub-plan, Rs 6,145 crore for ST sub-plan, Rs 29, 143 crore for BC sub-plan, Rs 3,661 crore for the welfare of minorities and Rs 3,537 crore for Kapu welfare.
School education sector got Rs 27,706.66 crore which was 12.52 per cent higher than that in the previous year. Amma Vodi was allocated Rs 6,500 crore, while Rs 3,500 crore went to Mana Badi Nadu Nedu scheme.
For the Pedalandariki Illu, an allotment of Rs 4,791.69 crore was made. So far, Rs 1,146.7 crore was released to beneficiaries including material costs, he said.
The Budget allocated Rs 69,306.74 crore for economic services which is 27.05 per cent of the total budget outlay, Rs 1,13,340.20 crore for social services, forming 44.23 per cent of the budget; and the rest for general services.
The Budget allocated Rs 18,518 crore for Scheduled Caste Sub Plan, while it was Rs 13,835 crore the previous year. A sum of Rs 6,145 crore goes to the Tribal Sub Plan the current year while it was Rs 5,318 crore the previous year. The BC sub-plan was allocated Rs 29,143 crore while it was Rs 28,238 crore the previous year.
The Minorities Action Sub Plan was allocated Rs 3,662 crore against the previous year’s Rs 3,077 crore; the Kapu welfare fund got Rs 3,532 crore (against last year’s Rs 3,306 crore) and EBC Welfare Rs 6,669 crore against Rs 3,743 crore last year.
The Budget has allocated Rs 48,802.71 crore for DBT schemes in 2022-23 while it was Rs 39,615.98 crore the previous year.
The YSR Pension Kanuka scheme was allocated Rs 18,000.90 crore, the YSR Rythu Bharosa Rs 3,900 crore, the YSR Aasara Rs 6,400 crore, the YSR Cheyuta Rs 4,235.95 crore, the Amma Vodi Rs 6,500 crore, the Jagananna Vidya Deevena Rs 2,500 crore, the Jagananna Vasati Deevena (MTF) Rs 2,083.32 crore, the YSR - PM Fasal Bima Yojana Rs 1,802.04 crore, the scheme of YSR interest free loans to Self Help Groups got Rs 600 crore, the YSR interest-free loans to Urban Self Help Groups Rs 200 crore, the YSR Interest-free loans to farmers Rs 500 crore, the YSR Kapu Nestham Rs 500 crore, the YSR Jagananna Chedodu Rs 300 crore, the YSR Vahana Mitra Rs 260 crore, theYSR Nethanna Nestham Rs 199.99 crore, the YSR Matsyakara Bharosa Rs 120.49 crore, the Diesel Subsidy to Fishermen Boats Rs 50 crore, exgratia to farmers Rs 20 crore, Law Nestham Rs 15 crore and the Jagananna Thodu Rs 25.01 crore.
