The Opposition parties – TDP, TRS, YSRCP, CPI and CPI(M) on Monday alleged that the vote-on-account budget, which was presented in the House by Finance Minister Anam Ramnarayana Reddy was just a jugglery of figures and utter neglect of the welfare of the people.
Speaking at the Assembly mediapoint after adjournment of the House, TDP MLA Ravula Chandrasekhara Reddy felt the flaws in the vote-on-account budget were indicating it was prepared without an exercise. There were no measures in the vote-on-account budget to solve the issues being faced by the people in the State. The budget speech of the Finance Minister was a useless speech, he added.
“For the first time in the history of the Legislative Assembly, the Finance Minister presented the budget in the House amidst protests from some of the cabinet members. The Telangana Ministers also boycotted cabinet meeting which approved the vote-on-account budget”, Ravula pointed out.
CPI(M) floor leader Julakanti Ranga Reddy said the Rs 1,83,000-crore heavy budget tends to impose heavy taxes on the people leading to a crisis. Reminding that the Finance Minister mentioned in his budget speech that Andhra Pradesh was selected for ‘State of the States’ Award in governance, he felt actually Andhra Pradesh got reputation as a crisis-hit and most corrupt State in the recent times. The State Government allocated Rs 1,200 crore for SC/ST sub-plan in the last budget, but spent only 30 percent of it. No funds were allocated to pending projects in the vote-on-account budget and welfare sector was also completely neglected. The vote on account budget would not contribute to development of the State in anyway, he maintained. He also said the government had rejected his request for extension of the current Assembly session for two or three days to discuss burning issues of the people.
CPI floor leader Gunda Mallesh said the vote-on-account budget would not be helpful for people of Telangana, Andhra and Rayalaseema regions. Before presenting the budget, the Government should have presented facts before the House about region-wise revenue. At the time of region-wise split of the ministers and legislators, it was proper to allocate funds to regionwise based on the revenue coming from them, he felt.
Reminding that long pending demand of people of Nellore district Ramayapatnam Port was kept aside, he alleged that the Government has taken up Duggirajapatnam Port in this budget to meet the interests of a few leaders. No adequate funds were allocated for welfare of the tribals in the vote-on-account budget, he pointed out. It seems the State Government prepared the vote-on-account budget for the purpose of payment of employees’ salaries and government expenditure, he alleged.
The CPI floor leader further said the State Government did not react positively to his suggestion for extension of current session for another five or six days to discuss the burning issues.
TDP legislator Bojjala Gopala Krishna said the Finance Minister did not care to read the full text of the budget copy even though the House was in order. Welfare of the people was completely neglected and funds were not allocated to the irrigation projects in vote-on-account budget. He termed the vote-on-account budget as “corruption budget”. He alleged that Kiran Kumar Reddy government has prepared the vote-on-account budget with a focus of how to get commissions from the contractors.
YSRCP legislator Bhumana Karunakar Reddy alleged that Kiran Kumar Reddy government exhibited its anti-people attitude at this last stage also. The vote-on-account budget was not like doing justice to all the regions. He described vote-on-account budget as pro-rich and anti-poor. (NSS)