The Opposition parties in the Legislative Council have described budget for 2017-18 as a figment of imagination with unrealistic expectations beyond the justifiable means.
After Deputy Chief Minister Kadiyam Srihari presented the budget with a total expenditure of ₹ 1,49,646 crore in all of 70 minutes, the Opposition parties giving their quick reactions, derided it as nothing but jugglery of figures and a hogwash.
Leader of Opposition in the Council Md.Ali Shabbir said the government went for an unrealistic budget again when it could not spend 60 % of estimated expenditure in the last three years.
The revised expenditure for 2016-17 was only 86 % of the estimated expenditure as the government admitted it did not realise the expected income.
Nominal allocations
Deputy leader in the Council Ponguleti Sudhakar Reddy said the budget did not pay attention to the plight of farmers and only ₹5,942 crore was allocated for agriculture and there was no mention of market intervention fund.
The two bedroom housing too got nominal allocation. There was only ₹3,000 crore support budget for the important Mission Bhagiratha.
BJP member N.Ramachandra Rao said while Telangana State was formed, the open market loans were about ₹60,000 crore, after three years the burden crossed ₹1 lakh crore. While the government created Most Backward Classes Corporation, the old promises to the BCs were not yet redeemed.
‘Anti-people’
There was no budget allocation for 2BHK scheme as the government could not depend on loans alone to deliver its promise. He summed it up as anti people, farmer and students budget.
TRS members Paturi Sudhakar Reddy, B.Venkateswarulu, P.Rajeswara Reddy however said it was confidence infusing budget with higher allocation for ‘Pragathi Paddu’ and top priority to welfare of backward classes.
