Andhra Pradesh Finance Minister Buggana Rajendranath Reddy presented an interim budget of Rs 2.86 lakh crore for the financial year 2024-25 in the state assembly on Wednesday.
The outlay is about 2.5 per cent higher than the previous year. The budget size for 2023-24 was Rs 2,79,279 crore. The revenue expenditure is estimated at Rs 2,30,110.41 crore, and capital expenditure Rs 30,530 crore. The estimated revenue deficit is around Rs 24,758.18 crore and the fiscal deficit is estimated at around Rs 55,817 crore.
Allocations for various welfare schemes have been given priority in the Budget.
Presenting the last Budget of the Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress Party (YSRCP) government before the election, Reddy said the fiscal deficit will be around 3.51 per cent of the Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP), whereas the revenue deficit will be around 1.56 per cent of the GSDP.
Addressing the house while presenting the budget, the minister said that following the footsteps of the father of the nation, Mahatma Gandhi, the state government was working towards the welfare of the poor.
“By installing the world’s largest Dr BR Ambedkar statue, we gave a message that the government is working for the poor,” he said.
The schemes implemented by the government had been bringing bright changes in the lives of the poor, he said.
“The government’s policies are of seven types and they include Suparipalana Andhra (Good governance Andhra), Saamardhya Andhra (Efficient Andhra), Mana Mahila Maharaanula Andhra (Our Women Queen’s Andhra), Annapurna Andhra (Rice bowl Andhra), Samkshema Andhra (Welfare Andhra), Sampanna Andhra (Wealthy Andhra) and Bhoobhadra Andhra (Andhra with secured land)”, the finance minister said.
He said that the volunteers have been taking the government schemes to each household in the state in a transparent manner.
“To provide governance very close to the people more number of revenue divisions were established and Kuppam was also among the newly established ones. New police stations and new sub-divisions were also established and some of them were established in Kuppam also. We established Disha Police Stations and Paryataka Police Stations. Through Gadapa Gadapaku Mana Prabhutvam we are completing public works,” he said.
About welfare schemes, the Minister said the government spent Rs 2.53 lakh crore through DBT (direct benefit transfer) and Rs 1.68 lakh crore through non-DBT from 2019-20 to 2023-24.
As a result of this lakhs of families have escaped poverty, uplifted their standard of living, and availed new opportunities for growth and development, he said, noting that this is exemplified by the fact that, the per-capita income (NSDP) of Andhra Pradesh has shown a quantum jump from Rs 1,54,031 in 2018-19 to Rs 2,19,518 in 2022-23 and the rank has improved to 9th from 18th.
He pointed out that Andhra Pradesh in 2018-19, ranked 14th in terms of GSDP growth rate which was 11 per cent. In 2022-23, it was placed fourth with a GSDP growth rate of 16.2 per cent.
The amount would be utilised until the new government presents a full Budget after the Assembly elections.
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