Clarifying that the State Government will not burden its people with tax hike, Finance Minister Etela Rajender today justified VAT being collected from various business classes in the State.
Speaking to mediapersons after presenting the budget, the Finance Minister said the State government is planning to sell lands to fetch Rs 13,000 crore. The funds so acquired will be spent on welfare schemes and developmental programs, he said. He refused to comment on a query whether the government has any plan to deduct huge tax being levied on fuel consumers.
Rajender parried a direct reply on reduction of fuel charges by the Centre and denial of passing on the same to the consumers in the State. The government allotted Rs 1600 crore to Skyscrapers in Hyderabad and Rs 100 crore for Yadagirigutta development. He said the welfare schemes will be implemented only by collecting taxes under various heads. The government was not willing to hike the taxes, he said, adding that the new budget is prepared to address the issues and common needs. Stating that the per capita income is put at Rs 16,272 and expenditure at Rs 16.042, the Finance Minister said Rs 1000 crore were allotted to housing sector to provide permanent shelter to the poor and deprived classes in the State. The government, he said, will keep its promise of providing shelter with a two bedroom house with all facilities.
The minister said though there was no allocation of funds to KG to PG education scheme, already an amount of Rs 100 crore was allotted to it earlier. The program needs a lot of funds and plans are on to implement it, he said. He also said the State accorded priority to those sectors that were neglected by the Centre. Rajender said, “This time, we got ample time to prepare a planned budget 2015 while there was no time to present a budget during 2014”, he said, adding that the projections and figures reflect the plans that will go in tandem with the aspirations of the people. Hyderabad will be transformed into a global destination with infrastructural development. (NSS)