‘Budget has increased debt burden'

Telugu Desam floor leader in the Legislative Council Dadi Veerabhadra Rao on Saturday said that the State budget conceived by the Kiran Kumar Government had increased the debt burden on people with no clear vision on development.

Speaking to the mediapersons, Mr. Rao said that the TDP Government handed over a Rs.50,000-crore deficit in 2004 which had gradually increased to around Rs.1,30,000 crore. “The Congress Government added around Rs.75,000 crore as deficit in these eight years. Though they took huge loans for the irrigation projects, not one project was completed. Agriculture has suffered greatly and irrigation, agriculture and endowments lands were given away to industries for a throw-away price,” he added.

The budget wasn't clear on the irrigation projects, on the process of their completion and also the expenditure, he said. The senior TDP leader said that the liquor episode had tarnished the image of the Kiran Kumar Government and it was unfortunate that no action had been taken though the ACB had furnished the list of the ministers and leaders involved in the multi-crore issue.

The Chief Minister said that he was not against setting up of Special Investigation Team (SIT). But, he was yet to form one, he added. Many were of the view that he was using the liquor issue to settle scores with his rivals in the party. “That is why he is not announcing the names,” he opined.

Liquor scam

He said that the officials involved in the liquor scam were punished or questioned but the leaders were untouched. Telugu Desam Krishna District president Devineni Uma Maheswara Rao said that the allocation of funds in the budget for the on-going projects in the district was meagre.

“Bundar port, super specialty hospital, JNNUMM scheme, delta modernization and Pulichintala are some of the important ongoing projects in the district. But the allocation is very paltry,” he pointed out. He blamed the district minister, legislators and other Congress leaders for letting people down by failing to get enough funds to the district.