BJP calls for balance between welfare and development

Party to insist on implementation of Finance Ministry panel’s recommendations on State credit limit

The BJP will approach Governor Biswa Bhusan Harichandan, seeking his intervention in implementing the recommendations of the committee constituted by the Union Finance Ministry in managing the State credit limit in view of the severe crisis being faced by Andhra Pradesh even to pay the salaries of its employees.

“The State facing such a situation is not new. A similar situation had arisen even during the term of former Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu,” BJP State president Somu Veerraju told The Hindu here on Saturday.

Underlining the need for financial prudence, Mr. Veerraju said, “We are not against welfare schemes, but a fine balance between expenditure on welfare and development must be maintained.”

‘Focus on income generation’

“The State government should also focus on income generation, and the mineral wealth, when tapped, should be utilised for public good. It should not make money by mortgaging lands or selling the public properties,” Mr. Veerraju said before participating in the unveiling of B.R. Ambedkar’s statue near here.

Referring to his visit to the Polavaram inundated areas and meeting the displaced people, Mr. Veerraju said that implementation of the R&R package should be the first thing to be taken up as it formed a part of the project cost.

Mr. Veerraju welcomed the Union government’s gazette notification on the jurisdiction of the Krishna and Godavari river management boards as it would permanently resolve the disputes between Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.

Atrocities against Dalits

Addressing the media earlier, BJP Dalit Morcha national president Lal Singh Arya urged Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy to take the atrocities against Dalits seriously and ensure that the culprits were punished without delay.

“The compensation prescribed in the Statue should be disbursed to the victims at the earliest,” Mr. Lal Singh said.

While complimenting Mr. Jagan Mohan Reddy for implementing welfare schemes, Mr. Lal Singh said some of the Central schemes were not being implemented properly.

On the overdraft issue, he said the Chief Minister could approach the Prime Minister for funding the welfare projects, but he should take care of development through the State budget as there was a formula for receiving the State’s share of GST funds.

Party State general secretary S. Vishnuvardhan Reddy, Dalit Morcha district president Gudise Anand and former Gujarat MP Shambhunath Tundiya were present.