Vijayawada: Describing the state budget for 2017-18 as a jugglery of figures and unrealistic embedded with tall claims meagre allocation of funds and has nothing on offer to weaker sections, Leader of Opposition YS Jagan Mohan Reddy has said that farmers, DWACRA groups, students housing, weaker sections funding and Aarogyasri have taken a backseat.
Speaking to reporters here on Wednesday he said, "Chandrababu Naidu government did not deviate from its policy of granting meagre funds and not even spending the funds allocated to vital sectors and has been staking tall claims on welfare while the figures are jumbled up to give an impression which is false and filled with fallacy.
Agriculture and Irrigation have been bearing the brunt with the anti-farmer policies and the boasting of the government that it has waived the loan is only ridiculous which has no basis."
Fees reimbursement has a passing mention in the budget and the amount specified is just a peck of what is due and the housing, SC ST sub-plan too has been taken out without any tangible end result and the allocations are sufficient only for administrative expenses, he said.
Aarogyasri scheme has been watered down and the funds allocated are very paltry and the government still has to pay the dues to hospitals and it is paying as per the outdated tariff.
It has been allocating half of the amount asked for and dues are mounting and people with renal, cardiac and other ailments are suffering badly and chemotherapy too has to be postponed even in life threatening cases.
Chandrababu Naidu has brought with him drought and in the past three years agriculture production has come down drastically despite the claims that the interlinking of rivers has benefitted the state immensely.
The gross irrigated area has come down from 40.98 lakh hactres 35.54 lakh hectres in 2015-16 calling the bluff of TDP government.
Though there are projects which are waiting for the finishing touch needing small amounts for completion, TDP has been ignoring them.
The budget boasts of allotting RS 3,600 crores for farmers loan waiver but the penal interest for the past three years has jacked up to RS 16, 000 crores, which effectively means that not the loan but even the interest is not taken care of so far, he said adding that even in his home constituency Kuppam banks have issued notification of gold auction pawned by farmers.
DWACRA groups would get Rs 14,200 crores says the budget but the interest for the past three years and the current year comes to Rs 10,000 crores.
Since September 2015 nothing was given to the women self help groups and the Rs 110 crore given was appropriated towards dues, he said.
There was heavy downsizing for fees reimbursement but still what is given is only a fraction and what is due runs in thousands of crores.
He has promised to build 10 lakh houses in two years and such statements have become a ritual. They are meant only for announcement and nothing materializes and when someone questions seriously maybe they take up marking.
Even under Swach Bharat scheme building of toilets has been on a unrealistic estimate. The government has announced that it would build 7.57 lakh toilets and has allocated just Rs 100 crores for it, Even if each toilet costs Rs 15,000 we need RS 1,050 crores and this shows the style of functioning.
The same is the case with SC ST sub-plan and BC welfare. There have been tall claims but no realistic approach or sufficient allocation of funds.
Over all the budget is a jugglery of figures and unrealistic and is in the true style of TDP of completing the ritual rather than addressing the people’s problems, he said.
