State budget evokes mixed reaction

TDP terms it visionless, Congress says it is pro-farmer

March 19, 2013 03:03 pm | Updated 03:03 pm IST - VIJAYAWADA:

The State budget has evoked mixed reaction with the Congress terming it as pro-farmer and the Telugu Desam Party and the CPI criticising it as visionless and neglecting poor.

For the first time, government gave top priority for agriculture and welfare sectors in the budget, said the Congress party leaders.

In a statement issued here on Monday, PCC secretary K. Shivaji said the budged tabled by Finance Minister Anam Ramnarayana Reddy brought happiness to all sections in the State.

He praised the minister for allocating about Rs.13,000 crore for SC and ST sub-plan, Rs.1,050 crore for minority welfare and complimented the government for creating a separate budget for agriculture sector.

Jugglery of figures: TDP

The TDP has dubbed the State budget as visionless, without a plan to tide over the problems and crisis faced by the State. Mylavaram MLA and TDP district president Devineni Umamaheswara Rao said that the government has failed to meet the expectations of the people. The government hoodwinked the people with jugglery of figures in the budget. There was not a single new point that enthused the people. In fact, the worrying factor is slip of Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) to 5.29 per cent, which is lowest in the last seven years, except during 2009-10, he said.

‘Raw deal to poor’

Mr. Rao said that the government would burden the people with taxes if the fiscal deficit of Rs. 24,487 crore was any indication. Though the new budget was 4.7 times the previous one, the revenue increase was only 3.5 per cent. So, the government expenditure was unproductive.

The allocations to education, health were meagre, he pointed out. Leaders of the CPI alleged that Finance Minister Anam Ramnarayana Reddy has neglected the poor in the budget.

Party city unit secretary D. Shankar said that one third of the State budget should be allocated for uplift of urban development, but the government has allocated meagre amount for improving towns and cities.

While western culture was dominating Telugu culture and tradition and the ancient arts were disappearing fast, the minister has allotted only Rs.69 crore for Cultural Department, which was nothing but neglecting the culture, he alleged.

Power sector

Government washed its hands off by allotting just Rs.7,117 crore for power sector, which was in deep crisis. The budget was prepared keeping in view the forthcoming elections, but will not be useful to the poor and middle class sections, Mr. Shankar said.

Chamber happy

Vijayawada Chamber of Commerce and Industry president V. Ramachandra Rao on Monday praised the Andhra Pradesh State budget, which was presented by the Finance Minister Anam Ramnarayana Reddy. Mr. Ramachandra Rao said that preparing the State budget for Rs 1.61 lakh crore without imposing any new taxes was a welcoming change apart from Special Action Plan for agriculture and welcomed allocations for various sectors and SC and ST Sub-plan.

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