Andhra Pradesh government today hailed the Union Budget 2013-14 as “welfare and development oriented” even as opposition parties dubbed it anti-poor and “pro-corporate”. “The union budget will enable growth of every sector. Certain measures announced by Union Finance Minister P Chidambaram will benefit Andhra Pradesh,” state finance Minister Aanam Ramanarayana Reddy said in a statement. The state was expected to get Rs 1000 crore in the form of sales tax compensation, for the past two years. Aanam also thanked the Union Finance Minister for incorporating certain recommendations of the Chaturvedi Committee on revenue sharing between Centre and states. He also welcomed the Centre’s decision to start an exclusive bank for women at the national level. State Agriculture Minister Kanna Lakshminarayana, in a separate statement, welcomed the enhancement of allocation to the agriculture sector by 22 per cent compared to last year. “Allocation of Rs 3415 crore for agriculture research will help in introduce modern technology in fields. The move to enhance farm loans to Rs 7 lakh crore in the ensuing fiscal year will benefit farmers,” Kanna said. However, the main opposition Telugu Desam Party (TDP) blamed the UPA government for failing to control the fiscal deficit. “Despite imposing heavy financial burden on people in one form or the other, the Centre failed to rein in the fiscal deficit. The economic growth rate also fell to five per cent, back to what it was two decades ago,” TDP politburo member Yanamala Ramakrishnudu pointed out. PTI
