Budget, tall claims, jugglery of figures

Vijayawada, March 15: 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dues to hospitals and it is paying as per the outdated tariff.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.

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