The Assembly on Monday passed the Appropriation (No32) Bill-2019 allowing the State to withdraw ₹2.32 lakh crore funds from the Consolidated Fund of India to meet its expenditure during 2019-20.
The Bill, moved by Finance Minister Buggana Rajendranath Reddy, was passed by voice vote after the House approved demands for grants for several Ministries which were put to vote and passed.
During the discussion, the treasury benches and Opposition Telugu Desam traded charges on the development, welfare schemes, irrigation projects etc.
In his reply, Mr. Rajendranath Reddy said that the Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) and growth rate as projected by the previous government were faulty. Sectors such as fisheries have no ‘uniform method across the country’ to calculate their growth, he added.
When TDP members demanded allocations to the debt redemption scheme, the Minister sought to turn the tables on them, saying estimates for loan waiver were brought down to ₹24,000 crore from ₹ 87,000 crore. Of this, ₹ 16,512 crore was allocated and mere ₹ 15,274 crore was spent in five years.
‘Graft in Neeru Chettu’
Again, for the unemployment allowance, no allocations were made for the first three years. Just ₹273 crore was spent at the fag end of its tenure. In comparison, only ₹ 793 crore was allocated for Neeru Chettu but as much as ₹ 4,850 crore was spent. If NREGS funds were to be included, the total touches ₹22,000 crore, he said, adding, huge funds were swindled under Neeru Chettu.
Reacting to comments on the promise of total prohibition, the Minister said, “The government is committed to total prohibition. Belt shops have already been removed. The prices of liquor are being jacked up only to discourage liquor consumption.”
Earlier, Visakhapatnam (South) MLA V. Ganesh Kumar and Parchur Yeluri Sambasiva Rao (TDP) listed the achievement of the TDP government, and urged the ruling party to continue the welfare schemes.Reminding the government that Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao moved the SC on irrigation projects in the State, they urged the government to complete Polavaram and other projects.
