Hyderabad, February 24: Three months into power, the Kiran Kumar Reddy Government presented its maiden budget for 2011-12, envisaging a massive outlay of Rs 1,28,542 crore and pledging to maintain the present balance between welfare and development while ensuring dignity and self-respect to people in all walks of life.
Finance Minister Anam Ramnarayan Reddy, who presented the budget in the Assembly on Wednesday, gave a commitment to continue all the welfare schemes of Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy meant for the poor like rice supply at a subsidised price of Rs 2 a kg., free power to farmers, Aarogyasri, old age and Abhayahastam pensions, Indiramma housing, Pavala Vaddi, tuition fee reimbursement, etc.
Rachabanda
No extra burden is proposed on the people by way of imposition of fresh taxes in the budget for which a Rs. 3,826-crore revenue surplus is projected.
A major portion of Rs 80,984 crore of the outlay has been set aside for non-plan expenditure towards maintenance of establishment, salaries and pensions to staff, interest payments and welfare schemes, while the plan expenditure is pegged at Rs 47,558 crore.
The Finance Minister made a special mention of the Rachabanda programme undertaken by Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy, describing it as a “thumping success” and a mandate given to him. He said in line with the Congress election promises, adequate funds were provided to all welfare and developmental schemes with emphasis on education, welfare, health, infrastructure, animal husbandry and youth advancement.
Weaker section welfare
A sum of Rs 5,987 crore has been allocated for the welfare of weaker sections. For irrigation, principal segment on development side, however, is fixed at Rs 15,010 crore, almost the same as last year’s outlay of Rs 15,011 crore.
The Minister said the State’s economy had begun to recover after two years of recession and was set to grow at 8.89 per cent despite setbacks like floods which reduced foodgrain production to an estimated low of 190 lakh tonnes.
Jalayagnam
He announced that the constituency development programme of legislators would be continued with Rs 385 crore as last year. Forty-three Jalayagnam projects would be prioritised for completion in two years to serve an additional ayacut of 30 lakh acres. The Minister also announced that Aadhaar-based smart cards would be issued to people; 25 lakh acres of land belonging to SCs and STs developed at a cost of Rs 12,000 crore during the next three years under NREGP; six lakh more houses constructed under Indiramma; 20,000 high-yielding milch cattle supplied to supplement the income of weaker sections farmers and 6,000 buses purchased afresh for RTC at a cost of Rs 1,000 crore.
-Agencies