Akbaruddin Owaisi praises Telangana Budget proposals

• REACTIONS OF Mr AKBAR UDDIN OWAISI, FLOOR LEADER, AIMIM, ON THE TELANGANA STATE BUDGET FOR 2017-18 PRESENTED IN THE STATE ASSEMBLY BY FINANCE MINISTER ETALA RAJENDER ON 13TH MARCH 2017
• Only a marginal increase of 4 percent in the allocations for minorities welfare from Rs 1,204 crores to Rs 1,249 crores

Hyderabad, 13th March (Maxim News):  Finance Minister Eatala Rajender has presented the fourth consecutive budget of the State of Telangana. The Budget for 2017-18 once again focuses on the welfare of the people and the development of the State.

Incidentally, the presentation of this budget coincides with the completion of 33 months of the TRS government in the new State. The Finance Minister has recalled the achievements of the government and the problems faced in the last financial years.

The demonetisation of the Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 currency notes by the BJP Government in November 2016 had adversely impacted the poorer sections as well as the State governments. The Finance Minister has asserted that the State has achieved impressive growth despite the adverse impact of demonetisation on the state finances.

This time, the budget has been presented in the new format stipulated by the Government of India. The non-plan and plan classification has been replaced with committee and scheme expenditure. The budget for 2017-18 estimates total expenditure of Rs 1,49,646 crores. The revised estimate for the current year 2016-17 is Rs 1,12,191 crores as against the budgeted expenditure of Rs 130,416 crores. In 2015-16, the actual expenditure came to Rs 97,923 crores.

The Finance Minister has projected ambitious figures for state’s own revenues, central transfers, and open market and central loans for the ensuing financial year. Similarly, the finance minister has made higher projections of outlays for all the items of expenditure, particularly for the welfare of SCs, STs, BCs, women and development of various sectors.

However, there has been only a marginal increase of 4 percent in the allocations for minorities welfare from Rs 1,204 crores to Rs 1,249 crores. This is despite the fact that the government has decided to open 130 more minorities residential schools, in addition to the existing 71 schools, in the ensuing year. We welcome the government’s decision to increase the assistance under Shaadi Mubarak and Kalyani Lakshmi from Rs 51,000 to Rs 75,116.

It is befitting that the Government has allocated Rs 200 crores to Osmania University for organising its centenary celebrations and construction of centenary block. The Government has also decided to provide assistance of Rs 1,000 crores to the GHMC and take up a scheme for development of Musi River Front with an outlay of Rs 350 crores.

Overall, the Finance Minister has stepped up the allocations for schemes to Rs 88,038 crores and for committee expenditure on salaries, allowances, pensions and office expenses to Rs 61,607 crores. The projected revenue surplus is Rs 4,571 crores and the fiscal deficit is estimated at Rs 26,096 crores. A matter of serious concern, however, is the mounting public debt of the State, which is slated to soar from Rs 83,846 crores at the end of 2014-15 to Rs 1,40,523 crores by March 31st, 2018.