Andhra Pradesh, which was hoping for the Centre to bail it out of its financial crunch by releasing at least a part of the Rs.13,787 crore dues of revenue deficit compensation of 2014-15, got only a trickle on Wednesday.
Over Rs.1,500 crore was released on Wednesday, including Rs.500 crore under revenue deficit, while the dues approved by the Accountant-General were Rs.16,200 crore. A token grant of Rs.2,300 crore was released under this head during the last week of March last year.
Sources, however, are optimistic that some more funds under the revenue deficit compensation and other heads would be released on Thursday, the last day of the financial year 2015-16.
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Apart from Rs.500 crore towards revenue deficit compensation, the Centre released Rs.200 crore towards Polavaram reimbursement, Rs.200 crore for capital city, Rs.360 crore for drought relief, and Rs.275 crore under MGNREGS on Wednesday, according to sources. While this is peanuts compared to what the State had been hoping and waiting for, sources said just because the financial year was coming to a close, the amounts due from the Centre would not lapse. “Had we received the amount, it would have been of great help to the State struggling to mobilise funds for its ongoing projects — capital city, Polavaram, backward districts of North Andhra and Rayalaseema,” they said. The revenue shortfall for the year 2015-16 is expected to be around Rs.5,500 crore.