Leader of Opposition K. Jana Reddy has described the State Budget as unrealistic with inflated figures of revenue, and that may lead to denial of funds from the Central government and also the 15th Finance Commission.
Participating in the debate in the Assembly on Thursday, Mr. Reddy, who spoke for nearly two hours, found fault with the figures on various fronts. The 30% projected increase in revenue was unrealistic and it was better if the government peg it at 10% to 12%. Even a rich and highly industrialised State like Gujarat, where tax revenues are huge, has not projected such growth.
Mr. Reddy said a realistic budget should have been around ₹1.2 lakh crore given previous years’ experiences where the government itself agreed shortage of revenue in the revised estimates.
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While complimenting the government about no power shortage in Telangana, the Congress leader said there was power surplus of 50,000 MWs in the country and no State was facing power shortage now.
However, he cautioned that the memorandums of understanding signed by the Telangana government may increase its debt as it has to pay irrespective of power usage or not. “Hope the Chief Minister is aware of these facts.”
Mr. Reddy said ₹737 crore have lapsed under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS) last year in Telangana and this year another ₹347 crore may lapse due to delayed decisions on work.
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“Funds lapsed during the Congress rule as well, but we were all in the Telangana movement those days.”
The Government must see the point of the Opposition in the proceedings of the Assembly, and it was not right on the part of the government to thrust its views on the Opposition, he said.
TDP legislator R. Krishnaiah wanted the government to spend more on education and irrigation to get the desired results.