Finance Minister Yanamala Ramakrishnudu on Saturday said that the State government was preparing the draft of the budget for the financial year 2018-19 with a plan to allocate 40% funds for social welfare.
Speaking to newsmen here, Mr. Ramakrishnudu said public grievances mostly highlighted the need for housing facility and various pensions and they would also be given priority in the budget.
“A decision has been taken to convert all the welfare hostels – Backward, Tribal and Social Welfare – into residential schools. The exercise has begun with a target of achieving the goal by mid-2018. The objective is to compete with corporate educational institutions,” he said. Currently, there are 1800 welfare hostels, including 154 tribal welfare hostels, across the State.
“The projects such as Polavaram and Pattiseema were not in our election manifesto but we have committed ourselves to improving irrigation infrastructure. At least 29 irrigation projects are in progress across the State,” he said.
Mr. Ramakrishnudu announced that Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu would convene a meeting with farmers on gathering land for the Machilipatnam port, on January 8.
