Telangana: Congress steps on two boats with budget and election promises

With focus on delivering its six promises, the State government allocated Rs.53,196 crore for the purpose. However, even as the Opposition claimed that implementing these guarantees would cost Rs.1.25 lakh crore

Hyderabad: The Congress government appears to be treading different paths when it comes to the matter of implementing its election promises and ensuring adequate funds for the same while presenting the budget. This is evident from the allocations made in the maiden vote-on-account budget presented by Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka in the Assembly on Saturday with an outlay of Rs 2.75 lakh crore.

With focus on delivering its six promises, the State government allocated Rs.53,196 crore for the purpose. However, even as the Opposition claimed that implementing these guarantees would cost Rs.1.25 lakh crore, the State government, after initially giving an impression of extending the schemes to all, has now said the modalities for implementation would be finalised only later. There was no clarity on the eligibility criteria for these schemes either. With the allocation also seeming to be on the shorter side, the implementation part of the promises, and how many would actually benefit if they are implemented, remain in the dark.

---

Without making any specific allocations for schemes like Rythu Bima, free power supply, Kalyana Lakshmi/Shaadi Mubarak, Haritha Haram, KCR Kits, Dalit Bandhu and others, the Congress government also indicated that it had no plans to continue schemes initiated by the previous BRS government, notwithstanding their success.

The Panchayat Raj and Rural Development department got the lion’s share of Rs.40,800 crore, followed by the Irrigation department with Rs 28,024 crore, SC Welfare with Rs.21,874 crore and Education department with Rs.21,389 crore. The State government, which declared agriculture as a priority, allocated Rs.19,746 crore, which is Rs.9,418 crore less than Rs.29,164 crore allocated in the previous budget for 2023-24.

Interestingly, the State government, which has pegged revenue receipts for 2024-25 at Rs.2,05,601 crore against revised estimates of Rs.1,78,172 crore for 2023-24, is relying heavily on the Centre for funds. It has estimated the State’s share in Central taxes at Rs.25,639 crore and grants-in-aid amounting to Rs.21,075 crore. From tourism to industrial development, Bhatti Vikramarka stated that the State government would seek Central assistance under various schemes.

U-turn on loans

Taking a complete U-turn from its previous stand on obtaining loans, the State government has decided to avail around Rs.21,410 crore more than the previous fiscal. Bhatti Vikramarka has pegged the total capital receipts at Rs.68,585 crore including including Rs.59,625 crore through Open Market Loans and another Rs.3,900 crore through loans from the Central government. As per the revised estimates for 2023-24, the previous BRS government availed total capital receipts of Rs.47,175 crore including Rs.40,615 crore through Open Market Loans and another Rs.1,500 crore loans from the Centre.