Andhra Pradesh Govt Presents Rs 2.94L Crore Budget For FY25

Amaravati: With four months left for the completion of the financial year, the TDP-led NDA government in Andhra Pradesh on Monday presented its maiden full-fledged budget for 2024-25 for an amount of Rs 2.94 lakh crore with a resolve to improve the State finances and put an end to indiscriminate borrowings opted by the previous YSRCP regime. Tabling his first budget, Finance Minister Payyavula Kehsav announced revenue expenditure estimated at Rs 2.35 lakh crore, capital expenditure at Rs 32,712 crore, revenue deficit at Rs 34,743 crore and fiscal deficit at Rs 68,742 crore. The revenue deficit accounts for 2.12 per cent of GSDP.

The budget gave emphasis in allocation to rural development, education, health and towards fulfilling the Super Six Guarantees promised by the TDP and its ally Jana Sena Party during the elections held in May. As announced earlier, YSRCP MLAs led by its leader YS Jagan Mohan Reddy abstained from the budget session alleging the ruling coalition was muzzling the voice of the Opposition. His decision came under sharp criticism from his estranged sister and AP Congress Committee president YS Sharmila, who accused him of running away from the elected body by not taking up public issues in the House. Keshav said under Thaliki Vandanam, they will provide financial assistance to mothers of school-going children scoffing at Jagan's allegation that the government was discontinuing the Amma Vodi scheme introduced by the YSRCP during 2019-24. He said the free bus facility for women, one of the major promises made by them in the elections, will be implemented soon.

The budget allotted Rs 29,909 crore to school education, Rs 11,855 crore to agriculture, Rs 18,497 crore to SC welfare, Rs 7,557 crore to ST welfare, Rs 39,007 crore to BC welfare, Rs 4,376 crore to minority welfare, Rs 4,285 crore to women and children welfare, Rs 1215 crore to HRD, Rs 2326 crore to higher education, Rs 18,421 crore to health sector, Rs 16,739 crore to Panchayati raj and rural development, Rs 11,490 crore to urban development, Rs 4,012 crore to housing and Rs 16,705 crore to water resources.

Later Agriculture Minister K Atchan Naidu said the agriculture budget has made an allocation of Rs 43,402 crore reiterating the priorities spelt out the Chief Minister.

Slamming the YSRCP regime for pushing the State to a debt trap, Keshav said, "The economy has been devastated between 2019 and 2024. We are trying to rebuild Andhra Pradesh and make it one of the top performing States under the visionary leadership of Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu." He said after consulting all, they have prepared the budget to take care of all sections by taking the ground realities into consideration.

YSRCP, which criticised the budget, said that the government plans to raise Rs 91,443 crore in public debt during the current year and the expected revenue estimated at Rs 2.01 lakh crore and Rs 24,498 crore earmarked for debt repayment.