BRS MLA T. Harish Rao has described the Budget presented in the Assembly as ‘unrealistic’ and said that Deputy Chief Minister (Finance and Energy) Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka’s speech appeared to be a ‘political pamphlet’.
No vision
“The Budget is aimed at humiliation of the Opposition rather than focussing on formulation of policies,” he said. Mr. Harish Rao, who initiated the general discussion on Budget on Saturday, said that the Budget has no vision and no subject and was full of self contradictions. “How long will government blame BRS to cover up its inefficiencies?” he asked during his more than one hour speech.
He recalled that Mr. Vikramarka pegged the GSDP at ₹14.5 lakh crore and said it was because of the 10 year rule of the BRS that the State could stand first in several economic parameters like per capita income, per capita power consumption and food grain produce amounting to 4 crore tonne. “NITI Aayog in its 2021 report adjudged Telangana as best performing State with compound annual growth rate of 11% while 19 out of 20 awards, instituted by the Centre, came to Telangana villages,” he said.
He said the government’s claims on presenting a realistic budget were far from truth going by the impractical estimates. “The grants in aid and contributions from the Centre are estimated at ₹21,000 crore while the actual realisation previous fiscal was ₹9,700 crore. How can the government justify this?” he asked.
Mr. Harish Rao lamented that the government appeared relying heavily on liquor sales going by the target set for the State Excise duties at over ₹25,000 crore while the focus also appeared on sale of lands as indicated by the non-tax revenue estimates. “How will the government raise an additional ₹6,000 crore when the auction of liquor outlets fetching ₹2,000 crore is not scheduled in the current year?” he asked.
Moreover, the government had projected a hike in tax revenue of ₹26,383 crore at a time when recession fears were hitting the economy. Mr. Harish Rao wondered why it had reduced allocations for the six guarantees from ₹57,000 crore in the vote-on-account budget to ₹47,000 crore in full budget, he said.
BJP’s Payal Shankar said that the Budget is hollow and the government indulged in jugglery of numbers. It is aimed at misleading people on the allocations. He faulted the government for passing resolution against the Centre alleging discrimination against Telangana and said, “Did the Finance Minister make district-wise mention of allocations? Can the districts pass resolutions claiming that they were discriminated against?” he asked.
He said people gave an opportunity to the Congress, as BRS could not fulfil its aspirations, but the problems of different sections continued even after the Congress took over the reins. “The temperament and hurry displayed by Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy raised hopes that the government would fulfil its promises. But it is not so,” he said.
