Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, while launching a scathing attack against the BRS for presenting inflated budgets over the past decade, presented a detailed comparison between the previous government’s “unrealistic Budgets” and the Congress government’s realistic budgets in 2024-25 and 2025-26.
Hyderabad:Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, while launching a scathing attack against the BRS for presenting inflated budgets over the past decade, presented a detailed comparison between the previous government’s “unrealistic Budgets” and the Congress government’s realistic budgets in 2024-25 and 2025-26.
Replying to the debate on the budget in the Assembly on Friday, he accused BRS of “taking false pride in presenting jumbo budgets,” increasing outlays by 10-15 per cent every year without considering the state’s actual revenue capabilities.
“There used to be a variation of 15 to 30 per cent between budget estimates and actual spending during the BRS regime. We didn’t inflate the budget,” he said.
Highlighting the Congress government’s measured approach, Vikramarka said, “Had we done what you did, the budget would have been ₹4.18 lakh crore this year. But we presented a realistic outlay of ₹3.04 lakh crore, just a 4.67 per cent increase from the previous ₹2.91 lakh crore budget for 2024-25.”
He also presented a breakdown of the current government’s expenditures this year.
“We’ve spent ₹2,80,603 crore till now, of which ₹77,362 crore went towards salaries and ₹1.34 lakh crore on welfare schemes,” he said.
Despite a revenue of ₹2,80,603 crore, expenditure was ₹2,99,421 crore, indicating a controlled deficit.
He challenged the opposition’s claims regarding economic growth, stating that GST growth under BRS was only 8.4 per cent, whereas it has now increased to 12.3 per cent. He also criticised BRS leader T. Harish Rao for using “disrespectful language” against the Chief Minister and ministers in his speeches and questioned the party’s moral authority to talk about economic intelligence.
The Deputy CM came down heavily on BRs for failing to deliver anything noteworthy.
“In ten years, you spent ₹13.8 lakh crore and borrowed ₹3.4 lakh crore. You couldn’t even clear ₹40,000 crore in pending bills. After spending so much, what did you achieve,” he asked, pointing out their failures in housing, education, and public welfare.
He contrasted that with the Congress government’s performance, citing the ₹20,617 crore farm loan waiver and schemes like Rajiv yuva vikasam, which allocated ₹6,000 crore to support self-employment among unemployed youth.
He also took aim at the BRS way of handling of marginalised communities.
“You promised ₹50 crore to Brahmin Parishad, we gave ₹100 crore. You didn’t create a Vaishya corporation—we did, with ₹25 crore. You promised a Dalit CM and failed. You removed your own dalit deputy CM Rajaiah overnight, without explanation,” he charged.
On the sand mafia, Vikramarka said, “During BRS rule, the state lost ₹6,000 crore of sand revenues spread over 10 years. We’re now earning ₹three crore daily from sand sales against the `one crore earned per day during BRS. We will control all mafias.”
On the issue of tribal welfare, he accused BRS of brutality.
“You tied tribal women to trees for demanding podu lands. We introduced Giri Vikasam with ₹12,500 crore to transform tribal lives,” he said.
He also listed other Congress initiatives such as setting up 58 Young India Integrated Residential Schools, increasing diet and cosmetic allowances for students in residential schools and welfare hostels, building warehouses for IKP (Indira Kranthi Patham) groups, and bringing rebates in Land Regularisation Scheme (LRS) fees.
